Mohamed Fahmy retrial: Prosecution makes closing arguments in Cairo

A prosecutor in Cairo alleged today during closing arguments in the retrial of the Al-Jazeera English network crew of Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy that they doctored footage and brought large sums of money into Egypt.

Correspondents covering the trial also reported that the prosecutor alleged Fahmy and his team —Egyptian Baher Mohamed and Australian Peter Greste —  had been instructed by Al-Jazeera to film Cairo's Tahrir Square, the focal point of many protests, in a way to show sexual harassment.

Fahmy, the former Cairo bureau chief for Al-Jazeera English, was arrested with his two colleagues in Cairo in December 2013 on charges of aiding a terrorist organization. They spent more than a year behind bars before a new trial was ordered, and they were granted bail in February.

Greste has already been deported back to Australia.

Fahmy, a naturalized Canadian who gave up his Egyptian citizenship, and Mohamed were in court Monday as the prosecutor alleged, without providing any evidence, that the Al-Jazeera English crew added sound effects of gunfire to coverage of a protest.

Responding on Twitter, Greste denied the allegation. 

Greste also shot down the prosecutor's claim that the crew brought large quantities of money into Egypt.

"Another bizarre allegation. We brought cash to pay for hotel, phone, taxis and food. Not a cent for other purposes," Greste tweeted.

He also denied the prosecutor's claim that the journalists were instructed to film activities in Tahrir Square in a way that would portray Egypt negatively.

"What evidence does the prosecutor have for instructions from head office? He can't have because there were none," Greste tweeted.

The case has been adjourned until Thursday for defence closing arguments.