File Photo: Egypt s Public Prosecution s headquarters in Cairo.
According to a statement released on Monday, the investigation was launched after the Public Prosecution's Media Centre monitored a video circulating on social media in which a citizen claimed he had been defrauded by a man falsely presenting himself as a judge at one of Egypt's judicial bodies.
Investigators identified and arrested the main suspect. During the arrest, authorities seized a firearm and ammunition, a judicial sash, identification cards bearing his fabricated judicial title, and two mobile phones.
During questioning, the suspect admitted to impersonating a judge and carrying out multiple fraud schemes in which he collected money from victims by falsely claiming he could secure government housing units for them.
He also confessed to filming and publishing photos and videos inside a courthouse while wearing the judicial sash to lend credibility to his claims. He further revealed that a second suspect had assisted him in the scheme, with the help of several court employees.
Forensic examination of the seized mobile phones confirmed they contained the photos and videos under investigation, some of which featured court employees.
The second suspect was subsequently arrested and admitted participating in filming and publishing the images and videos while falsely claiming on social media to be a judge, according to prosecutors.
The court employees who appeared in the footage were also detained and questioned. They acknowledged appearing in the videos but denied any involvement in the fraud, stating that the main suspect had told them he worked for one of Egypt's judicial authorities, according to prosecutors.
The Public Prosecution ordered the detention of all suspects pending trial and referred them to an expedited criminal court.
The prosecution urged the public not to fall victim to individuals claiming they can use official positions or public offices to secure services or benefits in exchange for money. It also called on citizens to report such incidents immediately to enable authorities to apprehend offenders and take legal action.
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