El-Degwi family feud: Prosecutors close high-profile theft case after complaint withdrawal

Egypt Independent

12-06-2025

The Egyptian Prosecutor's Office has closed the high-profile case involving the theft of funds belonging to Dr. Nawal El Degwi. The case had garnered significant public attention due to the prominence of the individuals involved, the substantial reported sum stolen, and the tragic shooting death of one of her grandsons.
The Prosecutor General's Office stated that Dr. El Degwi officially withdrew her complaint, emphasizing her unwillingness to press charges against any family members, especially her grandsons. Her decision was driven by a desire to preserve family cohesion, strengthen kinship ties, and support reconciliation efforts within the household.
Prosecutors had launched an investigation following Dr. El Degwi's report of the theft. They questioned several individuals connected to the incident, including Ahmed Sherif El Degwi and Amr Sherif El Degwi, to determine their involvement. However, investigations found no conclusive evidence that either of them committed the crime, nor were sufficient clues or indications found to implicate them. This outcome aligned with the complainant's wishes, as she explicitly stated in her withdrawal that she was not accusing any specific party.
Consequently, the Prosecutor General's Office issued a decision to close the investigation, given the official withdrawal of the complaint and the absence of clear criminal suspicion in the documented evidence.
The case had long captivated public interest in Egypt due to the stature of the individuals involved. Dr. Nawal El Degwi is a prominent Egyptian educational entrepreneur, known for founding Egypt's first private language school in the 1950s, a time when foreign schools largely dominated the sector.
The media widely dubbed the case 'the grandsons' inheritance conflict,' amidst mutual accusations of stealing a fortune estimated at billions of Egyptian pounds.
Further tragedy struck the family in May when Ahmed El Degwi, Dr. El Degwi's grandson, was found dead from a gunshot wound inside his villa, hours after returning from medical treatment abroad. The Ministry of Interior confirmed that he had shot himself with a licensed handgun.
The deceased Ahmed and his brother Amr had also been accused in the theft incident by another granddaughter, Ingy El Degwi. It was later revealed that family members had been embroiled in legal disputes for three years, with over 20 lawsuits concerning properties valued at billions of pounds.
On the other side of the dispute, the male grandsons—Ahmed, Amr, and Mohamed Sherif El Degwi—challenged the authenticity of sale contracts for six mansions previously owned by Dr. El Degwi. These properties had been sold to her two granddaughters (daughters of Mona El Degwi) for only LE50 million, while their market value was estimated at over LE2 billion.