Official warns against Facebook page impersonating Egypt’s PM

CAIRO – 13 April 2020: A top official early on Monday warned against a fake Facebook page pretending to be Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, as the Egyptian government has toughened the penalty of spreading rumors and has focused on denying fake news every week.

Hany Younes, the prime minister’s media advisor, said the legal measures would be taken against the one who manages the fake page.

Article 24 of Law No. 175 of 2018 on combating information technology crimes stipulates that anyone who creates an email, website or special account and falsely attributes it to another person shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not less than 3 months and a fine of not less than LE 10,000 and not exceeding LE 30,000.

In case the offender uses the postal, site or artificial special account in an abusive order, the penalty shall be imprisonment for a period not less than ayear and a fine of not less than LE 50,000 and not more than LE 200,000.

In the same context, article no. 303 of Egypt’s Penal Code stipulates that the penalty of insulting or harassing using telecommunications equipment, whether via telephone, email or other means of communication on social media,leads to a fine of not less than LE 500 and not more than LE 20,000, lawyer Abdul Rahman Anani said.

Concerning the novel disease, those who intentionally spread rumors about coronavirus can face a five-year imprisonment sentence, the public prosecution said late in March.