CAIRO: Egypt will auction off pricey gifts received by its senior government officials next week, including luxury watches and a silver sword, with proceeds going into the public coffers where they belong, the government said yesterday.
Cartier and Omega timepieces, silk rugs, ornate vases and a model boat will be among the items on sale next week in an auction organised by Egypt’s finance ministry.
The auction follows a decision by Prime Minister Hisham Kandil to forbid officials from keeping gifts valued at more than $100.
President Mohamed Mursi took office last June pledging to root out the corrupt practices of Hosni Mubarak’s regime which had angered so many in Egypt, where one in four live below the poverty line.
Proceeds from the sale will be returned to public coffers “to establish the principles of transparency and accountability and protection of public money,” the ministry said in a press release.
REUTERS
