Assets of over 900 Brotherhood members seized – Brotherhood funds committee

Wednesday 21-01-2015 03:59 PM
Assets of over 900 Brotherhood members seized – Brotherhood funds committee

The Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Mokattam torched on Sunday, June 30, 2013 - Emad Ahmed/Aswat Masriya

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Cairo, Jan 21 (Aswat Masriya) – The assets of 901 Muslim Brotherhood members and 1096 associations have been seized so far, the committee to manage Brotherhood funds said on Wednesday.

Committee head Ezzat Khamis said during a press conference that the procedures for seizing the assets of an additional 166 individuals are currently underway.

The press conference was held to mark a year since the formation of the committee, which is tasked with managing the assets and property of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation.

The committee was formed following the September 2013 court ruling which ordered banning the Brotherhood's activities in the country. The ruling stipulated banning activities of any association that branches from the Brotherhood, that was founded by Brotherhood funds or that receives any form of support from the Brotherhood.   

Khamis said the "committee is carrying out its tasks in accordance with the law" and does not issue administrative seizure orders itself.    

The press conference comes one day after the administrative court reversed the committee's seizure of the funds of well known supermarket chain, Seoudi.

The administrative court has revoked several similar decisions issued by the committee, citing the criminal court's exclusive jurisdiction over assets' seizure, and consequently the committee's lack of jurisdiction.

Khamis said that when the committee seizes funds belonging to an individual or entity, it presents legal proceedings to a judge, who issues the seizure orders.

Initially the assets of 906 people were seized but the seizures were lifted for five individuals after they appealed the decision, Khamis said. Similarly, the funds of more than 1,100 associations were seized but the number was reduced after 41 associations were removed from the list.

Khamis added that currently 82 schools are seized. Additionally, the committee has seized hundreds of companies and cars. 

It also seized 54 headquarters used by the Brothehrood across the nation and over 500 headquarters belonging to the Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political wing. A court ordered dissolving the party in August 2014.

Egypt listed the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in December 2013 and insists it is behind the stringent wave of militancy which has targeted security personnel since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. The Brotherhood continuously denies the accusations.

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