Egyptian court dismisses steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz' appeal against elections ban

Ahram Online , Friday 27 Feb 2015

Ezz was banned from standing in the upcoming elections due to failure to supply the necessary papers

Ahmed Ezz
Mubarak-era politician and steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz (Photo: AP)

An Egyptian court has rejected the appeal of steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz against his disqualification from standing in the upcoming parliamentary elections, state news agency MENA reported Friday. 

An administrative court in the governorate of Menoufiya dismissed the appeal of Ezz, who was recently released from jail after serving a sentence for corruption, for failing to supply the necessary financial documents.

Ezz, a former senior figure within Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, is widely believed to have engineered widespread fraud during the 2010 parliamentary elections, securing an unprecedented majority for his party.

His decision to run in the spring elections drew criticism from many pro-25 January Revolution political figures and parties. 

Prior to the 2011 ouster of Mubarak, Ezz served as the national organiser of the NDP. He also acted as the spokesperson for the party in parliament between 2005 and 2010. 

He made his first appearance on TV after his release from jail on Tuesday, defending his role in the Mubarak years and adding he was "sorry" people took to the streets. 

Ezz is the chairman of Ezz Steel and has a 55 percent stake in EZDK, the largest steel complex in the Middle East. 

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