Mohamed Ramadan, supervisor of legal affairs at the ministry of state for antiquities, denied today's claims by a national newspaper that the administrative court enforced the ruling issued in April against Zahi Hawass, minister of state for antiquities, sentencing him to one year in jail and a fine of LE1000.

Ramadan explained that this news is incorrect for three reasons; the first is that the criminal court, not the administrative, is the legal authority that would pursue such a case. The second , continued Ramadan, is that the criminal court has delayed reviewing such a case until 15 June and no verdict has yet been issued. The third reason is that the administrative court has cancelled the decision to rent the cafeteria and bookstore of the Egyptian museum to the Sound and Light Organisation, instead re-establish another bidding process to allow all organisations to participate.

Hawass is now in the United States giving lectures about Ancient Egyptian civilization in an attempt  to promote tourism to Egypt and did not escape as some newspapers have said. Hawass travelled according to a decree issued by the cabinet in collaboration with the ministry of tourism.