Al-Ahram summons ex-chairman for investigation

CAIRO – 3 May 2017: Ahmed el-Sayed al-Naggar, Egyptian economist and former chairman of state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, was summoned for an internal investigation by Al-Ahram’s board of directors Tuesday over alleged insults to the organization.

Al-Ahram’s board, headed by acting Chairman Hisham Lotfy Salaam, issued a detailed statement criticizing Naggar for televised remarks against the organization, and decided to conduct an immediate internal investigation.

Naggar, a prominent economist, resigned in April after serving as Al-Ahram chairman since January 2014.

In an interview with Dream TV, Naggar said he quit his position at Al-Ahram in protest of interference by the National Press Authority (NPA) in the management of the newspaper.

He added, “the NPA requested that state-owned newspapers’ managers do not take any financial or managerial decisions without its prior review.” Naggar described the decision as “illegal.”

In December 2016, the Parliament passed a new law to establish three bodies to regulate media and press affairs in Egypt; President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi ratified the new legislation.

The three bodies are the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), National Press Authority (NPA) and the National Media Authority (NMA).

The NPA will replace the Higher Press Council, taking charge of supervising state-owned press organizations. The NPA will also be responsible for selecting board chairmen and editors-in-chief of state-owned publications.