New Labour's Victory Funds And Assets Of Egypt Menoufiya Spinning And Weaving Under Guardianship Speedy Trial And Criminal Investigations With Owners
After the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights has filed a complaint # 884 /2011to the Attorney General on Wednesday, January 19th , 2011 against the owners of Egypt Menoufiya Spinning And Weaving and after the workers and owners of the company were investigated with last Thursday, the prosecutor general issued a decision freeze the assets of the company and to appoint Mohamed Abdel Moneim Salem , a laborer, as manager . Salem was pensioned two years ago and has got a good reputation among workers
ECESR filed a communiqué to prosecutor general on Wednesday against Abdel Moneim Saudi, Chairman of Egypt Menoufiya for spinning, weaving and the rest of the owners for not operating and not paying the wages of workers since September 2010 without any legal reason.
The Attorney General ordered immediate investigations, on the following day, Thursday, January 20th , 2011.
ECESR workers and lawyers were notified that were referred to a speedy trial before Quwesna Misdemeanors Court on charges of refraining from paying wages and the court decided to adjourn the case to 17/2/2011 to Declare the civil proceedings and take intervention measures for all employees.
After the court hearing ECESR lawyers and workers arrived at Shebin prosecution to open the investigation into the complaint 884. The prosecution took statements of five workers : Saad elSaid Sulaiman Abu Ali, Muhammad Abdul Samad Eteiwi, Gamal Zaki Henawy, Mahmoud Abdallah Mohamed and Ahmed Ibrahim Abdel Dayem. The deputy minister of manpower in Menoufia was called in to take his testimony as well as factories managers. ECESR lawyer requested to refer four owners of the company to a speedy trial for the following charges :
1 – Violating the right of others to work as per article 375 of the penal code.
2 – Not paying wages of 532 workers since October 2010 , criminalized by articles 45, 247 of Act 12 / 2003.
3 – Abuse of public funds not to transfer Social Security money deducted from the salaries.
4 – Harming the national economy as the owners received bank loans by credit of company’s asset , some of which were sold later and intentionally damaging machinery .
ECESR lawyer requested a prosecutor’s decision to hold the company’s funds (estimated by EGP 23 million ) to the Ministry of Finance . The sum will be spent to cover financial dues to the workers through the Ministry of Manpower and the General Federation of Trade Unions
The Attorney General decided to hold the funds and assets of the company and to appointment of a commissioner to manage the company until the completion of investigations.
The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights welcomes the rapid response to the communication, appeals to the Attorney General to open an immediate investigation against all companies that violate workers rights, overlooking the Egyptian penal code, which protects workers from such practices.
