Nile University wins court battle

Egypt’s Administrative Court ruled in favour of Nile University in its dispute with Zewail City on Sunday. Judge Ibrahim Ismail presided over the court as it settled a lawsuit concerning land which former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif had granted the university before his imprisonment. The court recalled the allocation of land, installations and buildings of Nile University to the Zewail City for Science and Technology. The plaintiff’s attorney Wael Hamdi said that the ruling in favour of his client concluded the dispute which has been raging for more than 10 months regarding the awarding of the university’s property to the Zewail City.  Speaking exclusively to Arabstoday, Hamdi stated that Zewail City’s claim did not have legal legitimacy, as no order by the President had been issued. The lawsuit filed by attorney Wael Hamdi al-Said and Prosecutor Hamdi al-Fakharani demanded “The recall of the assignment order for the university land and its installations, and the recovery of these to the university by the issuing of a Presidential order declaring it a national, non-profit university.” The Administrative Court had postponed judgment in its previous session. The lawsuit was filed against the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Higher Education, the President of the Egyptian Foundation for Educational Development and the Presidents of the New Urban Communities Authority. In the opposite camp, Zewail City for Science and Technology media spokesperson Sherif Fouad expressed his respect for the ruling “regardless of its content.” A statement released by the City said: “The Fund for Renaissance in Education and Development (READ Fund) is not in legal dispute with any parties in Egypt, including the private Nile University which was established and persists on its original premises in the Smart Village.”