Egypt refers 'fake judge' and accomplice to criminal trial over housing scam

Egypt’s Public Prosecution has ordered the detention of two suspects and referred them to an urgent criminal court after they were accused of impersonating a judge, defrauding citizens, and seizing their money under the pretense of facilitating housing unit allocations.

In a statement, prosecutors said the investigation began after their media monitoring center spotted a widely shared social media video in which a citizen appealed for help, claiming he had been scammed by someone falsely claiming to be a judge at a judicial body.

Investigators identified and arrested the main suspect, who was found in possession of a firearm, ammunition, a judicial sash, fake identification cards, and two mobile phones.

During questioning, the suspect admitted to impersonating a judge and committing several fraud cases against citizens, seizing their money by claiming he could secure housing units for them. He also confessed to filming and posting photos and videos inside a courthouse while wearing the judicial sash to lend credibility to his claims.

The suspect further revealed the involvement of a second accomplice and said some court employees had assisted him. Examination of the seized phones uncovered the incriminating images and videos, some of which featured court staff.

Authorities arrested the second suspect, who admitted to helping the first in filming and publishing the content, and also claimed to be a judge on social media.

Meanwhile, the court employees seen in the videos confirmed their presence but denied any wrongdoing, stating they were told by the main suspect that he worked for a judicial authority.

Prosecutors ordered all suspects to be detained and referred them to an urgent criminal trial. They also urged the public not to fall for claims of influence or official capacity in exchange for money, and to promptly report such incidents.