The Economic Court of Egypt recently ruled that Khaled R.M.T, a teacher at one of Beni Mazar schools, and his wife, Sherine M.H, a teacher at an Azhar institute in a Beni Mazar village, will be sentenced to one month in jail and pay a fine of 20,000 EGP each. This decision was made after they were found guilty of insulting and threatening the lawyer of a Minya student, Alaa, who was a victim of identity theft and online crimes.
According to investigations, the accused used a mobile phone to send threatening and insulting messages to Ali Al-Sayed, the lawyer representing Alaa. The messages aimed to force the student and her lawyer to drop the case. The court based its judgment on a memo from the Public Prosecution, which confirmed that the defendants used a mobile phone to send abusive phrases and threats to the lawyer.
Investigations led by Police Officer Mohamed Shaltot, assistant to the head of the Maadi police station, uncovered evidence that the defendants were behind the threatening messages. Shaltot's secret investigations confirmed that the mobile phone used to send the threats belonged to the accused couple. This led to the registration of a case at the Maadi police station, with the incidents classified under Article 166 and 302/1 of the Penal Code.
The court examined the mobile phone records of the victim and the messages sent to his phone, which matched the conversations attached to the case. The ruling stated that these messages included abusive language and threats directed at the lawyer, pressuring him to withdraw from defending the Beni Mazar student, whose identity was stolen and used to buy a mobile chip and commit electronic crimes.
The lawyer representing Alaa stated that he would inform several official bodies about the judgment issued against the defendants. These bodies include Ahmed Said, head of the Beni Mazar investigation unit, the Ministry of Education, and the Azhar Region in Minya. The lawyer's decision to report the incident comes after the couple committed multiple crimes against his client and himself.
The case initially came to light when Alaa's name was stolen and used to create a fake ID card. This led to the purchase of a mobile chip in her name, which was then used to commit crimes, including insulting and threatening her lawyer. The student was surprised to find herself facing jail and fine sentences for crimes she knew nothing about.
The ruling demonstrates the Egyptian judiciary's efforts to combat cybercrimes and protect citizens from online harassment. The case highlights the need for increased awareness about the consequences of identity theft and the importance of reporting such incidents to the authorities.
Key points
- The court sentenced the teacher and his wife to one month in jail and a 20,000 EGP fine for harassing a lawyer representing a Minya student.
- The defendants used a mobile phone to send threatening messages to the lawyer, aiming to force him to drop the case.
- The case emphasizes the need for awareness about identity theft and online harassment in Egypt.
