Egypt’s Sisi to Be Sworn In for Second Term by End of Week

Local Editor

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi will be sworn in for his second term Saturday during a special Parliament session, state media reported.

Sisi's second term in office was sealed when he won 97 percent of valid votes in a presidential election in March. Saturday will be the first presidential swearing-in to be held in Parliament since former ruler Hosni Mubarak began his fifth consecutive term in 2005, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Tuesday.

The current Parliament was elected in 2015, a year after Sisi was elected for his first term.

The session will be attended by lawmakers and media personalities, as well as other guests including ambassadors, head of universities, and religious leaders, al-Ahram newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, four Egyptian officials including the chairman of the state Food Industries Holding Company have been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from commodities trading firms, state news agency MENA reported Tuesday.

The other officials include a Supply Ministry advisor responsible for coordination with Parliament, a Supply Ministry spokesman, and an official in the FIHC chairman's office, according to MENA.

The companies were not named but described as "major suppliers of food commodities" by MENA, which said the bribes, exceeded 2 million Egyptian pounds ($112,000) and were given to officials in return for help in facilitating "purchase orders" and "payments of dues," without providing any further details.

State-buyer FIHC oversees the purchase of other key commodities.

GASC and the supply ministry were not immediately available for comment.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team