The announcement of the American “Heritage” auction hall, the sale of the diplomatic passport of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, sparked widespread controversy during the past hours, regarding how he left the country, at a time when his family called for opening an investigation and prosecuting those responsible for this matter.
The auction house indicated, on its website, that the passport of the late President Anwar Sadat had been sold at a large value of $47,500.
The daughter of the late Egyptian president, Ruqaya Sadat, said in statements to “Sky News Arabia” that she does not know anything officially about what was reported in the media about the sale of her father’s diplomatic passport, wondering how he got to the auction house, given its great importance.
Ruqaya Sadat added, “We demand an investigation into the auction house’s display of the passport, and legal measures be taken against those who handed it over to them.”
And she continued, “Many local and international media have spoken to us about this matter, but we have not received official information about that yet.”
Sadat’s passport details
- • According to the information published by the “Heritage” hall, Sadat’s diplomatic passport bears the number 1, and it was issued on March 19, 1974, and remained valid until March 18, 1981.
- • Although there was only one visa, the passport was valid during many of Sadat’s historic trips, including his visit to Israel on November 19, 1977, as well as a trip to the United States in 1978 where he met US President Jimmy Carter.
- • The passport consists of 48 pages, printed in both Arabic and French, and measures 3.75″ x 5.25″.
- • The leather cover is flexible, written in gold in Arabic and French, and the second and third pages contain a printed statement from the Minister of Foreign Affairs requesting aid and assistance to its bearer, “Muhammad Anwar Sadat, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.”
- • The fourth and fifth pages contain Sadat’s personal information and a black and white photo. It includes one stamped visa from 1974. The auction house noted that there was very slight wear on the passport from use.
- • The “Heritage” hall, which was established in 1976, is the third largest auction hall in the world.
