Egyptians protest after viral videos allege taxpayer funds stolen for lavish palace, hotel

CAIRO – In a military-led regime where official corruption is an open secret, the allegations of graft seemed normal, even expected: Millions of taxpayer dollars stolen to build a luxury hotel and a seaside palace, among other projects.

Whistleblowers are so rare in a nation where critics disappear into prisons and endure torture that millions have watched the videos shared widely on social media sites. The allegations are the central topics of conversations at dinner parties, cafes and social clubs across Cairo. Last weekend, at a youth forum, el-Sissi took the unusual step of publicly refuting for the first time Ali’s allegations while strongly defending the military and declaring that he did not tolerate corruption. The regime is also pushing back hard using state-controlled media and supporters to deflect any damage to el-Sissi’s image.

In cartoons and memes, Ali is often battling el-Sissi. A hashtag #ThatsEnoughSisi immediately went viral hours after Ali urged last week that it be used to call for the president to step down. He also called upon protesters to take to stage street protests on Friday. On Thursday evening and into Friday, the regime deployed armored vehicles and trucks filled with police in riot gear near Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, taking Ali’s calls for protest seriously. Facebook and other social media were a driving force that mobilized hundreds of thousands of Egyptians in 2011 to descend on Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 2011 Arab Spring revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

For nearly 16 years, Ali said he worked on construction projects for the military and the government. In his videos, he claims that military offered contracts to those they favored without any bidding process. In some cases, Ali said he was ordered to begin work on projects without even blueprints for the construction.

Ali, so far, has not provided any documentary evidence of the alleged corruption. He also acknowledges that the government still owes him millions for his work. But that hasn’t stopped countless Egyptians from believing his claims – and expressing outrage.

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