Anger over Red Sea ferry film

2006-06-01 13:51

Cairo - Plans for a movie about the Egyptian ferry which sank in the Red Sea killing about 1 000 people have infuriated the owner of the ship, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to Al-Masri Al-Yom, the ship owner and MP Mamduh Ismail has urged Wahid Hamed, one of Egypt's top screenwriters, to abandon the script, but he refused.

"I don't understand the fear that Mamduh Ismail has about the film," Hamed told the paper. "How is this film going to affect the investigation as he (Ismail) alleges, will the film be stronger than the investigations?"

Ismail left Egypt despite an investigation into the sinking in February of the Al-Salam Boccacio 98, his 36-year-old ship.

Owners, govt deny responsibility

The ship was sailing from the Saudi port of Duba and carried mostly Egyptian emigrant workers, some of whom were bringing months if not years' worth of savings back home, when the tragedy struck.

A preliminary report into the disaster published in April blamed the owners but also strongly implicated the Egyptian government. Both have denied any responsibility.

Egypt issued an arrest warrant last week which it transferred to Interpol against Ismail.

State involved

Ismail, a government-appointed member of the upper house and the ruling National Democratic Party, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in March and his assets were frozen a month later.

The fact that Ismail, who is believed to have close ties with the presidential palace, was allowed to flee Egypt fuelled accusations that the state was involved at the highest level.

"I know full well that (in this country) the money and corruption mafia is much stronger than the terrorist mafia," Hamed told the paper.

- AFP