Al-Wasat's Member of Parliament (MP) Essam Sultan asked for Egypt's Defense Minister and head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, to be interrogated for the protection of presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq.

Sultan also called for the interrogation of the interior and finance ministers for the protection who he argued is worth 2 million EGPs per day.

Sultan pointed to a large number of armored vehicles among other means of protection that surround the residence of the presidential candidate in New Cairo, throughout the day and night and on a daily basis.  

"We urge for the parliament to be informed of the details of these expenses and their source. Does Shafiq bear the costs or is it coming from the state budget?" Sultan remarked in today's parliament session, asking why Shafiq in particular is provided protection by the state.

The People's Assembly will discuss this issue further next week.