The executive head of Egypt's Industrial Modernisation Centre (IMC) has denied reports he has been suspended from his position while under investigation for violating administrative and financial rules.
In a statement to Ahram's Arabic-language portal on Tuesday afternoon, Hany El-Ghazaly said he is still performing his normal duties in his office, despite the ongoing investigations.
Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt's Minister of Industry and Trade, Mahmoud Issa, said El-Ghazaly had been suspended while under investigation for irregularities in the running of the IMC, as well as raising his own monthly salary to LE70,000 (US$11,600). El-Ghazaly was appointed in March, after his predecessor was removed due to similar claims about his work performance.
Last month, Issa set a maximum salary for employees in organisations that are dependent on his ministry like the IMC. He asked the centre's administration for a list of employees on salaries of over LE20,000 per month.
In his Tuesday statement, El-Ghazaly said he has refused to implement directives on wage-cuts and is awaiting results from a Cabinet study before taking any action on the issue.
He also sent a letter to Issa claiming he retains all his legal rights after the change in his salary, as it is considered a unilateral amendment to his contract with the government.
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