By Luis De Jesus
Sep 24, 2023, 9:00 PM EDT
Ahmed Tantawy, candidate for the Presidency of Egypt, demanded this Sunday that the president of that country, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, assume his alleged responsibility in the scandal that would involve US Senator Bob Menéndez.
“I ask the authority, headed by the President of the Republic, Abdelfatah al Sisi, to assume its responsibility in the face of these practices and deviations,” Tantawy wrote on his X account.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, in the United States, accused Menéndez and his wife Nadine Menéndez on Friday of receiving million-dollar bribes from Egyptian government officials in exchange for providing them with confidential information from the US administration.
Investigations indicate that the Menéndez family would have received compensation from 2018 to 2022 that included cash, gold, mortgage payments, a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and even a job for Nadine that did not require her presence at all times, EFE reported.
Tantawy, also a former representative of Egypt, expressed that the accusations are a “deep disgrace” for State institutions due to the “repetitive participation” of some of its senior officials in events that, he considers, harm the reputation and international image of his country. .
“The authority chose to direct the resources of the Egyptians not towards facing the crisis and improving the living conditions of the people, but towards achieving their own interest and that of their senior officials,” said the Egyptian leader.
He also highlighted that the accusations that would affect Al Sisi amount to millions of dollars, at a time when his nation is going through an unprecedented economic crisis.
Furthermore, he stated that while the US justice system is investigating Menéndez, the authorities in his country have been silent since 2018, when this type of “suspicious practices” would have begun to occur.
He indicated that independent Egyptian media revealed irregularities regarding the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture’s decision to grant certificates for imported halal meats to a single company in the United States.
“It was later shown that (that company) also played a front role for Egyptian officials who bribed a US senator (Bob Menendez), who used his power to pressure the US Department of Agriculture to approve the monopoly of this company,” he assured.
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• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez affirmed that the accusation against Bob Menéndez is “extremely serious” and demanded his resignation in Congress