Expelled Egypt MP Okasha takes his Al-Faraeen TV channel off air, plans to sell

Ahram Online , Wednesday 2 Mar 2016

The decision comes following the expulsion of Okasha from Egypt's parliament due to his meeting with Israel’s ambassador

Tawfik Okasha

Egyptian satellite television channel Al-Faraeen, owned by controversial MP Tawfik Okasha, announced on Wednesday the complete suspension of its programmes, and that it will be put up for sale.

The decision by the channel comes only few hours after Egypt's parliament, with a majority, revoked the membership of Okasha for “violating the ‎principle of the separation of powers and disrupting ‎Egypt's deep-rooted parliamentary rules and ‎precedents” when he recently met with Israel's ambassador in Cairo.‎

Okasha has anchored a populist TV talk show on Al-Fraeen for several years, stirring multiple controversies with many "wild" attacks on public figures.

"The channel offers its gratitude to the great Egyptian people and all its viewers in the Arab nation, and announces the complete suspension of its programmes. The board of directors has decided to liquidate the channel, freeze its activities, and put it on sale," a notice aired by the channel stated.

The channel also expressed its “sincere thanks” to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

On Sunday, Okasha was struck with a shoe wielded by MP Kamal Ahmed, the oldest member of parliament, due to his the meeting with the Israeli ambassador. 

 

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