(AFP Photo)
Dokki Misdemeanour Court on Wednesday ruled to dismiss Prime Minister Hesham Qandil from office and sentenced him to a year in prison for failing to uphold a court verdict.
Workers from the Nile Cotton Ginning Company, a former state-owned company that was privatised, brought a case in front of the Administrative Judiciary Court demanding the company be restored to its public sector status.
The Administrative Court ruled in the workers’ favour but the government failed to carry out the court order.
Article 79 of the constitution states that public officials who fail to carry out court orders are to be removed from office and imprisoned for one year. As prime minister, Qandil is the head of government and thus was responsible for carrying out the Administrative Court’s verdict.
The Wednesday court verdict does not mean Qandil will be immediately imprisoned and dismissed however. He can appeal the verdict, which would automatically render it suspended, and the court has already set EGP 2,000 in bail.
“The verdict is a partial one and was made in absentia. We will appeal the verdict after reviewing the court’s reasoning,” cabinet spokesperson, Alaa Al-Hadidy said in a statement.