Egypt court bans gifts for civil employees

CAIRO, June 2 (UPI) -- Egypt's Higher Disciplinary Court Wednesday banned senior public employees from accepting gifts and invitations from businessmen to curb corruption.

The court ruling published in the Egyptian press slammed the widespread practice and conduct as "humiliating to the public job and places employees in a suspicious situation."

The same court rebuked a director general in the customs department recently for accepting gifts and free leisure trips from merchants and tradesmen.

It said such practice encouraged corruption in the public administration and undermined the respectability of public posts.