‘Smuggling Kid’ gives unconventional interviews

CAIRO - 6 August 2018: After anger on social media over the video featuring teenagers involved in smuggling interviewed in a condescending manner prompted Port-Said governor to apologize, TV interviews with one of the children and his father revealed surprising facts.

Mahfouz Diab the teen who defended his act firmly replying to the local channel reporter sat in a TV interview on Dream channel on Saturday saying that he resorted to smuggling clothes in order to prove that he is a “man” who can earn money independently.

He added that he wanted to buy clothes for his family in upcoming Adha Eid as a gift revealing that his friends told him about the job whereas he would receive LE150 ($8.4) per day.

Diab’s father was interviewed on the same day by phone in another channel, DMC. The father revealed that the family is well-off as he and his nine siblings inherited a bakery shop, a grocery store and 12 feddans of agricultural land.

The father said his son told him he was going on a trip to Alexandria where he might also find work and raise some cash for himself as opportunities in his governorate - Sohag - are limited.

“How can I guarantee you will hire me?” was the question addressed by Diab, student at grade 11, to billionaire Naguib Sawiris, who talked to him over the phone during the interview as the latter offered to hire him and his friends who got caught while smuggling as well as pay the fine.



The billionaire’s response was “it’s inappropriate to tell me that. Never tell that to an Upper Egyptian (because he is committed to his promise). I did it (made the offer) in my free will. How can I guarantee that you work well? Never get back to that (work) as it was a bad idea since the beginning.”

Sawiris who belong to the same governorate - where poverty rates are among the highest in the country - said that his lawyer would pay the fine Sunday, while those teens can start working Monday in a catering company he owns and that has a branch in Port Said in salaries better than what they make from smuggling.