In its general session on Monday, the parliament, headed by Ali Abdul Aal, has initially approved a draft law submitted by the government, as well as amendments to penal code No. 58 for year 1937.
The draft law stipulated that anyone who abducted a newborn, replaced it with another, or falsely claimed it belonged to people other than its parents, will be subject to a sentence of at least seven years of imprisonment.
The law also stipulated that anyone who abducted a child will be subject to an imprisonment of at least 10 years. In case the abduction was accompanied by a ransom, the imprisonment period will be no less than 15 years and no more than 20 years.
The law stipulated that either the death penalty or life imprisonment will be imposed on the perpetrator of the crime of abduction if accompanied by rape. In the case where the abducted is a child or a female, the abductor will be subject to a lifetime sentence, in addition to execution, if rape was involved.
The draft law stipulated that any foreign public official or an employee in an international organization or institution who accepted to receive a gift or a bribe to perform his job or refrain from performing it on purpose will be subject to a lifetime sentence and a fine of no less than EGP 1,000, and no more than double the bribe he received.
The law also punishes the person who offers a bribe of no less than EGP 500 and not exceeding EGP 1,000 to a foreign public official, in case the official refuses to accept it.
The draft law defines the foreign public official as a person in a legislative, executive, administrative, or judicial position working for a foreign country, whether elected or appointed, as well as any person who does a public job for a foreign country.
The draft law defined the international public institution employee as any civil or international user allowed to act on behalf of the institution.
The report of the parliament’s Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee explained that the draft law came as a response to the intertwining relations, activities, and interferences between international institutions and countries, as well as economic entities. The draft law also aims to address the crimes of kidnapping that threaten families and societies. It also aims to hold foreign public employees accountable for their bribe offenses.
