The note was published by Egypt's Al Masri Al Yom daily on June 7, Middle East Newsline reported. The
newspaper identified the author of the memorandum to the military regime as
Samir Mekheimar, a former director at the Nuclear Research Center.
This marked the first report by an Egyptian of a nuclear accident in the
Arab League state. Over the last four years, the International Atomic Energy
Agency has questioned Egypt's nuclear program, including the prospect that
Cairo was secretly enriching uranium.
Mekheimar asserted that Anshas sustained a leak on May 25 as a result of
an operator error. He said the Egyptian Atomic Energy Agency ordered its
staff not to publicize the leak or face dismissal. Atomic Energy Agency
director-general Mohammed Kolaly said radiation levels at Anshas remain
normal.
This marked the second leak at Anshas in a year, Mekheimar said.
Mekheimar, a former director of the nuclear center's reactor department,
said the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February did not affect
Egypt's nuclear policy, including Electricity Ministry Hassan Yunis.
"All ministries were changed after the revolution, except the
Electricity and Power Ministry," Mekheimar said. "It still kept the same
minister and his deputies from the dissolved ruling party."
The Egyptian government has refused to confirm the reported leak at
Anshas. But Al Masri quoted sources at the Nuclear Safety Authority as
saying the agency was denied access to the reactor.
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