The ministry also arrested a third defendant for selling this staged leaked exchange to a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The warrant for the arrest of the two impersonators was issued after a fabricated phone call between two alleged high-ranking officials discussing plans to embezzle public funds was leaked on social media platforms over the past few days.

In an official statement, the ministry identified the impersonators as a 61-year-old unemployed, previously convicted conman posing as a general and a 52-year-old woman assuming the identity of a presidential advisor.

During the fabricated call, the two impersonators discussed using their alleged connections with a host of state officials to deceive businessmen in the construction industry and real-estate agents, the ministry’s statement added.

Both defendants, claimed that they can — due to their alleged influence — award businessmen contracts for megaprojects nationwide for personal financial gain, the statement noted.

The fabricated call was leaked via a fugitive Muslim Brotherhood TV show host Abdullah El-Sherief and then went viral on social media.

The ministry explained that the call came into El-Sherief’s possession through a 42-year-old realtor — the third defendant in the case — who was deceived by the previously mentioned duo.

The realtor said the first defendant masqueraded as a general at the presidency who could provide him with commissions, sending him the fabricated phone calls as a guarantee of sorts.

The realtor said he decided to capitalise on these calls once he ran into financial trouble, selling them to the Brotherhood TV host, according to a recorded confession that was released by the ministry.

The statement stressed that the investigations showed that the first and second defendants have never worked in any state institution, adding that all necessary legal action was taken, and that the cellphone used to record the leaked conversation was seized.

More to follow…