Peer Reviewer 1:
The report is clear, actual, fair and accurate. It indicates some of the most important corruption cases that erupted last year. Its analysis is true to the facts. In this regard, I want to indicate the following:
A governmental study issued by the Information & Decision Support Center of the Ministry Council showed "administrative corruption" and the spread of junior employees' corruption in the governmental administrative apparatus. The study targeted the evaluation of administrative corruption spread rates in the governorates and governmental sectors, such as health, education, traffic, etc.
The study index was divided in four categories: 1) bribes, gifts and gratuities, 75.2 percent; 2) relatives' compliments, dependence on acquaintances for facilitating governmental procedures, 74.9 percent; 3) one employee disposes of public money as he wishes , 65 percent; 4) public funds stealing, 40.5 percent.
In one precedent, 25 Public Council members, including members of the governing national party, submitted requests for discussing corruption based on the October 2006 report of the NGO Dialog Colloquium for Development and Human Rights Foundation. The report made note of public funds spent uselessly, which amounted to 412 million Egyptian pounds (US$74.4 million), in addition to funds stolen and seized.
Chancellor Ahmed Shawky al-Shalqany, the assistant of the Justice minister for illegal earning affairs, confirmed that the apparatus investigates many public cases. They are observing, for instance, 35 millionaires of ministries and other agencies junior employees who invested 40 million Egyptian pounds (US$7.3 million) in Nutrients Company.
Peer Reviewer 2:
I think there is something important to note about how corruption is perceived by Egyptians and how it manifests itself in Egypt through the monopoly of security agencies (Mukhabarat and Amn Eldawla) over different aspects of life in the country. These apparatuses dont only enjoy abusing power and authority, but they extend it to others in the government and in the National Democratic Party, the ruling party of Egypt.
As the report briefly mentions, even though corruption is widespread in the country, fighting it is always a political decision. It is widely believed that security agencies are used in internal conflicts among different agents within the government, away from, or under the supervision of the presidential institution, to initiate accusations, investigations, and in some cases to make sure that convictions are pronounced.
This is how everybody perceives the cases that involve the personnel in the government, the Parliament, and even in the business elites.
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