Raymond Lakah
Raymond Lakah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rami Lakah 1960 Egypt |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, newspaper proprietor |
| Known for | Former proprietor of France Soir, Egyptian Parliament member (disqualified) |
Raymond Lakah (originally named Rami Lakah around 1960) (رامي لكح) is a prominent French-Egyptian entrepreneur and former proprietor of the French publication France Soir.
Hailing from Egypt, he was born into a Greek Catholic Egyptian household. During the mid-1990s, Lakah and his brother Michel rose to prominence through their investments in sectors such as construction, healthcare administration, and aviation. In November 1998, their business interests were listed on the Cairo Stock Exchange, with Rami owning 38% and Michel 31%. Known for his Egyptian nationalist views, he displayed an active interest in the country's political affairs.
Egyptian Parliament
At the age of 40, in November 2000, Lakah secured a seat in the Egyptian Parliament. However, his possession of dual citizenship sparked debates regarding his qualification for office. By January 2001, the Interior Minister invalidated his election amid investigations into outstanding debts amounting between 1.2 and 1.4 billion Egyptian Pounds linked to government bank loans. Confronted with legal actions, Lakah relocated to France. Subsequently, in August 2001, an Egyptian court ruled that his dual nationality disqualified him from parliamentary duties; later, in October 2004, legislation was enacted prohibiting individuals holding dual citizenship from serving in Parliament.
Lakah maintains that all financial obligations have been fully resolved.
Once in France and adopting the name Raymond, he engaged in new business initiatives including Star Airlines and took ownership of France Soir in October 2004.
Cartoon controversy
On February 2, 2006, France Soir republished the contentious Muhammad cartoons initially released by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. The issue carried the headline: "Yes, One has the Right to Caricature God."
Following this publication, Lakah terminated editorial director Jacques Lefranc on the same day, citing a commitment to respecting personal beliefs. He also issued an apology addressing the Muslim community and others who were offended by the cartoons' appearance.