Egypt to sue Fars over Mursi report

The office of Egypt’s President-elect Muhammad Mursi is to take legal action against the Iranian Fars news agency for fabricating an interview with him, the official Mena news agency said.
Fars quoted Mursi saying the two countries should improve ties.
Mena quoted Mursi’s spokesman, Yasir Ali, as saying the interview was entirely made up.
Meanwhile, a criminal court yesterday jailed for 15 years each a former Mubarak-era Cabinet minister and a businessman for selling Israel natural gas below market value, a judicial source said.
“The Cairo criminal court sentenced former Oil Minister Sameh Fahmi and fugitive businessman Hussein Salem to 15 years in prison each over the (Israel) gas deal,” the source told AFP.
They were accused “of exporting gas to Israel at below market value” undermining the interests of Egypt, the source added.
Five former high-ranking officials from the oil and gas authority received jail sentences raging from three to 10 years on similar charges, the source added.
In another development, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador of the UAE yesterday after comments made by Dubai’s chief of police that the ministry described as being against Egypt, state-run media reported.
Mena said the envoy to Cairo was summoned to request “clarification from the UAE about statements that do not go along with the nature of the special relationship between the two countries.”
It said the statements, made on Twitter, were an “attack on Egypt,” without citing the remarks that caused the offense.