Article reporting Sisi wealth at LE30 million is pulled from publication

Publication of Al-Watan private daily newspaper's Thursday issue was briefly halted after they printed a report claiming that the fortune of Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is worth LE30 million (US$4.2 million), media reports said.

OnTv talk show host Gaber al-Karmouty's discussion on the article as part of his show's daily press review brought it to the authorities’ attention, and the paper was ordered to reprint the issue without the report.

Al-Watan's editor-in-chief Magdy al-Gallad denied that the story was removed from the paper's front page in comments made to the news site Al-Wady news; but Thursday's issue appeared late on news stands, mentioning nothing about Sisi's wealth.

The article reportedly said that Sisi intends to submit a financial disclosure as part of his anticipated presidential bid, which allegedly reveals that his fortune amounts to LE30 million. He is said to have inherited this wealth from his father’s shops in the touristic area of Khan al-Khalili, as well as family ownership of land.

The report also claimed that he will officially declare his intention to run for presidential elections on February 11, which marks the third anniversary of former President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.

Yanair news website reported late on Wednesday that authorities banned the issue and ordered the newspaper to reprint it. A source at the newspaper claimed that the military institution did not deny the article, but that they were “unhappy” about it being published.

Military sources also claimed that Sisi's fortune from his father's inheritance amounts to just LE10 million.