Egypt antiquities chief held

BBC News (Magdi Abdelhadi)

A top official in the Egyptian authority for antiquities has been arrested as part of an investigation into bribes for restoration contracts.

The head of the technical department, Abdul Hamid Qutb, was arrested on Saturday and his office was searched.

The contracts, worth tens of millions of dollars, cover some of Egypt's best known monuments, local media say.

Mr Qutb's boss, Zahi Hawwas, defended his department and said Mr Qutb was not in a position to award contracts.

"Awarding contracts follows a very rigorous procedure at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Mr Qutb had no authority whatsoever in taking decisions related to that," Dr Hawwas told the BBC Arabic service.