The state-run committee, tasked with appraising and freezing the funds of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), has seized the Egyptian footballer Mohamed Abu Treika’s share in a company over affiliation with the MB organization, judicial source told Youm7 Friday.
Head of the committee Judge Ezzat Khamis said that the committee sent the confiscation decision to the Central Bank and the stock market, clarifying that “the committee did not seize Trika’s money but his shares in the company.”
Investigations carried out by Egypt’s Central Auditing Organization have revealed that Treika, alongside MB members, has been a partner in the company since 2012. The company was founded during the tenure of Egypt’s former President Mohamed Morsi with a capital estimated at 2.5 million EGP ($327,495.)
According to the investigations, it was used to “finance the terroristic operations carried out following the deadly dispersal of the MB’s sit-ins at Rabaa al-Adaweya and Nahda squares in August 2013.
Trika tweeted on Friday denying what was said about the possibility of leaving Egypt, “I won’t leave my country and I will work in it and for its prosperity.”
Comments on the confiscation news went viral on the social media. On Twitter, #Treika_red_line hash tag was the trend with thousands of supporters criticizing and rebuking the decision, saying that “his love in their hearts cannot be confiscated.”
In December 2013, the Egyptian government had officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, criminalizing all its activities, its financing and even membership to the group.
Another group supported the decision citing that everybody is equal before law and that “law does not know Treika.”
Treika’s colleagues, the footballers, have fully supported him on social media platforms. Footballers shared photos with Trika in Gaza, supporting children, and another photo of the footballer comforting a father whose son was killed in Port Said Stadium massacre.
On the other hand, MB leaders criticized the Egyptian judiciary system for the confiscation decision and sent a verbal menace saying that” it will not pass.”
Some of the MB members described Treika as a “saint” and others criticized the decision saying, “If terrorism was Treika, World Cup would have never left Egypt,” according to Youm7.
The committee was formed in November 2013 to manage the assets and properties of the Muslim Brotherhood. The committee includes representatives from the Ministries of Interior and Social Solidarity, as well as the International Cooperation, Illegal acquisition and Real Estate Administrations.
The committee traces commercial and financial activities of Brotherhood members by acquiring information from the stock market, companies and banks. It does not close the companies or the factories that belong to Muslim Brotherhood unless their financing sources are proven to be illegal.
