During the inauguration ceremony of an electricity project in Aswan, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi praised the minister of electricity, Dr. Mohamed Shaker, for not allowing his company to work on any governmental projects. Egypt Watch investigated the statement and proved it to be false.
Dr. Mohamed Shaker Al-Marqabi is the oldest minister in the Egyptian government, as he has held this position since the first government of Ibrahim Mahlab in February of 2014. He is the sole minister of that cabinet who has kept his position along with Mostafa Madbouly, the minister of housing who later became the Prime Minister. Dr Shaker established his company Shaker Consulting Group in 1982, several years after receiving his Ph.D. from the Royal College of Engineering in London. The group is currently managed by his son, Dr. Ismail Shaker, after the father assumed his ministerial position.
Since Shaker took office in February of 2014, his group has implemented dozens of projects funded by the state from public money, contrary to what Sisi claimed. According to what was announced by the company itself, Shaker Consultancy Group implemented the following projects including design, control and protection systems, earthing, lightning protection, and AC/DC systems.
- The New Administrative Capital high voltage electricity substation.
- North Giza high voltage electricity substation.
- Benha high voltage electricity substation.
- Port Said high voltage electricity substation.
- The Grand Egyptian Museum: This museum prospects to be largest archaeological museum in the world. It is located near Giza Pyramids. Shaker has assumed all electricity works of the museum.
- Cairo Monorail.
- Sharm El Sheikh Conference Centre, Phase 1.
- Mahmoud Khalil Museum
- The New Capital Central Command Centre.
- The New Capital City Operation Centre.
- Electricity transmission lines projects: Abo Zaable-El-Sokhna – Mostakbal city-Badr City – Al Fayoum-Beni Suef-El-Menya.
- Electricity works in water treatment projects: West Assuit potable water treatment plant – West Assuit sewage water treatment plant – West Qena potable water treatment plant – West Qena sewage water treatment plant.
Madkour Group: Shaker’s hidden arm
The minister was not satisfied with all these projects that he obtained by direct order from the government, in the clearest form of corruption and conflict of interest, but there was another hidden arm affiliated to him, which is the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company known as Madkour Group.
Months after Shaker took over the Ministry of Electricity, Madkour Group was established by Dr. Mostafa Amin Madkour, who is close to the minister, and had worked in his group, Shaker Consulting Group, for 17 years. Since the establishment of this group by Madkour and his son Hesham, it has been able to obtain dozens of governmental projects with a net profit of billions. Some of the projects implemented by the group was outsourced to it from the Military Engineering Authority in one of the classical corruption mechanisms used recently by mafias of senior military personnel.
According to the data announced by the group itself, Madkour Group was able to obtain giant projects such as:
- Egypt’s ministry of defence premises in the NAC.
- Sharm El-Sheikh solar power plant.
- Al-Galala resort electricity substation (outsourced work from the Military Engineering Authority)
- NAC electricity distribution network (outsourced from MEA)
- Imbaba electricity substation (outsourced from MEA).
- New Sixth of October city electricity substation (outsourced from MEA)
