During Mubarak's era, there was an economics minister from Al Sharqia Governorate named Dr. Mostafa El-Saeed. His wife, Madame Gigi, owned a five-star boutique in Heliopolis specializing in clothing and leather bags. She imported large quantities of leather clothing from abroad, and the customs fees were exorbitant..
Dr. Mostafa El-Saeed issued a ministerial decree exempting leather clothing and shoe imports from customs duties, allowing Madame Gigi to benefit from this exemption. The decree was revoked just 24 hours later.
Before that, there was the "Jehan Law" for personal status, which granted the wife the right to remain in the marital home after divorce. This law faced relentless opposition from the esteemed Sheikh Gad Al-Haq Ali Gad Al-Haq. Then came the story of Ahmed Fathi Sorour and "Sondos," which demonstrated how and why laws were sometimes enacted.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali was preparing to step down as Secretary-General of the United Nations. At the time, Dr. Ahmed Fathi Sorour was President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Boutros-Ghali recommended a talented Egyptian woman with significant international experience, Sondos Hosny, to work with him. Sondos transitioned to work alongside Dr. Sorour, who was captivated by her exceptional beauty. He appointed her as his personal secretary in the Inter-Parliamentary Union and in Egypt's People’s Assembly, granting her a Mercedes car with a chauffeur.
They agreed that Sondos would file for divorce from her husband to marry Dr. Sorour. However, her divorce request was rejected. To resolve this, Dr. Sorour proposed a new law allowing women to divorce without providing any reason, bypassing the consent of their husbands or judges. This idea culminated in the "Khul' Law," nicknamed in parliamentary circles as the "Sondos Law." The law's concept was derived from the story of Habiba bint Sahl, the wife of Thabit ibn Qais ibn Shammas (may Allah be pleased with them both).
The law’s introduction involved manipulating religious principles and relying on unfounded interpretations of Quranic verses and hadiths. Ultimately, the Khul' Law was enacted, and Sondos became the first woman in Egypt to obtain a khul' divorce since the law was tailored specifically for her.
However, Sondos refused to marry Dr. Sorour unless the custody law was amended to ensure that her ex-husband, a police officer, would not gain custody of their daughter, Menna, who was 8 years old at the time. Consequently, a new custody and visitation law was issued, ensuring that the mother would retain custody. Upon reaching the legal age, the child could choose to stay with her mother, grandmother, or return to her father. With her concerns addressed, Sondos married Dr. Sorour secretly.
The marriage was exposed by Minister Kamal El-Shazly, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, during a trip to Switzerland leading an Egyptian parliamentary delegation. Two suites were booked in a hotel—one for Dr. Sorour and another for his secretary, Sondos—while the rest of the delegation stayed in a different hotel. El-Shazly reported this arrangement to President Mubarak, supported by a similar report from Egypt’s ambassador to Switzerland. Upon being confronted, Dr. Sorour admitted that Sondos was his wife. Mubarak ordered her resignation from the People’s Assembly, and she complied.
Dr. Sorour's first wife discovered the secret marriage and complained to Suzanne Mubarak. Unaware of the second marriage, Suzanne Mubarak had a law enacted requiring husbands to inform their wives if they took another wife. Dr. Sorour was forced to divorce Sondos to appease his first wife.
These details emerged during investigations into illicit wealth after the January 2011 revolution. It was discovered that Sondos had transferred half of Dr. Sorour's assets into her daughter Menna's name. As a result, Menna’s assets were frozen as part of the asset seizure orders.