Desperately seeking the heirs of Iraqi Jews in Egypt

Nasser Bank's list of individuals who died intestate in Egypt contains the names of two Jews of Iraqi origin, Aaron Yeheskel Saltoun and Aboudi Joseph Shashoua, who both died in 2005. (Note that the Bank cannot bring itself to list the two men's religion as Jewish). Unless relatives of the deceased come forward, their estate will go to the Egyptian state. (With thanks: Alain Farhi and Levana)

This is the second publication this year on behalf of Nasser Bank for the administration of vacant property. After checks over the past ten years, the bank has uncovered the existence of 10 Egyptians and non-Egyptians who died without designating heirs to their legacy of real estate, cash money and bank accounts worth over 100 million pounds. One woman died last February, leaving her legacy of a villa in the Maadi suburb of no less than 50 million pounds. Therefore the bank has officially decided to publish the names of the ten deaths in order to search for their descendants. Hereafter are the full names of the deceased, as obtained by the magazine el-Fager (14 May 2010) : -

1 - Ms. Ellen Post, known as a Muslim and with Egyptian nationality, died on October 1, 2009, lived in Gamal al Din al-Edsuki street no. 2, Heliopolis.

2 - Violet Hanna Matheo Guirgis, Christian with Egyptian nationality - who died on December 23, 2009, in Abdullah abul-Seoud Street no. 2, Apartment 3, Heliopolis.

3 - Camelia Riad Muhammad Musa - Muslim Egyptian - died on November 22, 2009, in Saleh Ayoub Street no. 16, Zamalek.

4 - Fathi Nicholas Estemati - religion and nationality are not known - died on 1 November 2009, on 18 Massaken Sheraton-Airport.

5 - Rakia Hanem Abdul Ghani - an Egyptian Muslim - died on 13 March 2002, on Helwan Street no. 6, Department al-Khalifa.

6 - Aaron Yehezkel Saltoun, and Aboudi Joseph Za'zoua (or Sha'shoua) - Iraqi nationality, religion unknown - died on February 3, 2005, at Nazelat el-Sissy no. 9, at el-Haram.

7 - Fatma Gomaa Hussein - an Egyptian Muslim - who died on May 29, 1982, on Haret al - Badawi No. 7, in the - Aarb, Port Said.

8 - Esmat Muhammad al-Meligui - Muslim and Egyptian - died on January 9, 1988, on el-Sawamee street no. 4, at Manof Manoufeya.

9 - Mona Mohammed Abd-Allah - Muslim, nationality unknown - died on July 31, 2006, on Aatfet Bent-el-bakri Street, El-Mousky, Cairo.

According to inheritance laws in Egypt, in case of the heirs' absence, the legacy will be sold at an auction and the value will be deposited in a closed bank account, on behalf of the owner, for 21 years. If the successors are not found in those years, the deposit will be transferred from the Nasser Bank to needy and poor families. This will be the fate of those 200 million pounds, amassed by their owners during years of hard work, which in the absence of heirs, will go to the poor and needy.

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