ABU DHABI // The Minister of Economy has insisted his department is not to blame for religiously offensive toys being imported, despite repeated accusations from members of the FNC.
Mohammed Al Ameri told Sultan Al Mansouri, the minister, items such as toy guns that "voiced" insults about the Prophet Mohammed's wife Aisha, which were found on sale in Dibba last year, should be stopped at the border.
Mr Al Ameri said harmful food products also needed to be stopped from entering the country.
He cited recent reports of 18 children eating what they thought were sweets bought from local stores in Umm Al Quwain, but which contained nicotine and other "harmful chemicals".
Mr Al Mansouri said the responsibility lay with Customs officials, not his department. He said there were no ministry officials at the borders.
Mr Al Ameri answered that he had been very careful in directing his question.
"When I drafted this question I was eager to find out who to send it to," he said. "In all my research, I found the main party concerned was the Ministry of Economy."
Mr Al Ameri was supported by the FNC legal adviser, Dr Hesham Fawzi.
"We found that the ministry is responsible for consumer rights and to ensure their safety," said Dr Fawzi. "The ministry would not only have enough information on this topic but also is involved legally."
Mr Al Mansouri argued: "This is related to the concerned authority. If it is related to medicine, then it would be the Ministry of Health; if it is related to publications, then it would be the National Media Council."
Although there are no federal laws covering the sale of sweets containing nicotine, the Ministry of Health had said they were not sold in markets. But some still made their way into the country.
Mr Al Mansouri added any concerns over imported food or farming would concern the Ministry of Environment.
He said the question was clear and so was his answer.
"It [the question] stated what are the procedures made to stop these products from going in," Mr Al Mansouri said. "First it goes through Customs.
"I have nothing against answering the question but the ministry is only involved in supervising these products in the country.
"The [legal] adviser needs to be easier on us. This has nothing to do with us.
"But after it is in the country, then the ministry comes in and can recall the products if necessary."
The Speaker, Mohammed Al Murr, repeated the second part of Mr Al Ameri's question, asking what steps the ministry was taking to stop the products reaching stores. The minister did not give a response.
Mr Al Ameri concluded by asking Mr Al Mansouri to clarify who was responsible for the entry of the products to the country, only to be told that the council would be filled in at a later date.
The minister asked Mr Al Ameri to point out the products in question to help the ministry in its future response.
No further detail on when the response would be given or when discussions would continue.
Yesterday was the first time the minister had appeared in front of the FNC and he said the ministry was keen to co-operate fully with the council.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
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Test
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Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5