Egypt's president swears in new government, headed by former petroleum minister
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In this photo provided by Egypt's state news agency MENA, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, right, presides over the swearing in of Prime Minister Sheriff Ismail one week after the previous Cabinet resigned amid a corruption probe, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. El-Sissi has also restructured the Cabinet, merging several ministries and forming a new body responsible for immigration, according to the Middle East News Agency. The 33-member Cabinet contains three women and 16 new members. (MENA via AP) (The Associated Press)
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has sworn in a new government, Egypt's state news agency reported Saturday, one week after the previous Cabinet resigned amid a corruption probe.
The new government, headed by former Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail, came after state-friendly media slammed his predecessor Ibrahim Mehleb for weeks and the prosecution began investigating several officials for allegedly receiving over $1 million in bribes.
Local media accused Mehleb and his ministers of incompetence and being out of touch with the public. El-Sissi, the former general and defense minister who led the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, was spared the media lashing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Egypt, whose governments have long been plagued by corruption allegations, has been in turmoil since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
El-Sissi has also restructured the Cabinet, merging several ministries and forming a new body responsible for immigration, according to the Middle East News Agency.
The 33-member Cabinet contains three women and 16 new members. Two of the newcomers, Education Minister Zaki Badr and Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou, served in similar posts under Mubarak.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Also Saturday, el-Sissi appointed Mehleb as to the position of "assistant to the president for national and strategic projects."