Arrests in Egypt after people allegedly impersonate judges
Egyptian authorities say the alleged scam involved fabricated scenes in court as part of a plot to defraud people.
Several individuals have been apprehended in Egypt due to an alleged scheme orchestrated by counterfeit judges intending to defraud citizens of their finances. The Ministry of Interior disclosed that the fraudulent scheme entailed simulated courtroom proceedings and the impersonation of a judge on social media platforms. The primary suspects, an unemployed individual and a student residing in Cairo and Giza, have been apprehended, according to the ministry's statement.
During interrogations, they admitted to assembling a criminal network that extorted funds from citizens by falsely asserting their ability to allocate housing from government entities. They also allegedly confessed to staging fabricated courtroom scenes with the assistance of others.
The plot emerged to light following an investigation initiated by authorities after a man alleged he had been defrauded by an individual posing as a judge. Consequently, the main suspect was apprehended, and law enforcement seized a firearm, a judicial sash, and identity cards bearing his fabricated judicial title. He reportedly confessed to capturing photographs and videos within a courthouse while donning the judicial sash to enhance his credibility.
He further admitted to being aided by a second suspect, who collaborated with several court employees. The second primary suspect confessed to participating in the filming and dissemination of images and videos, asserting on social media that he was a judge, as per prosecutors. Additionally, court personnel were detained and questioned, with them alleging that the main suspect had informed them he was an employee of one of Egypt's judicial authorities.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
