ST. PETERSBURG, June 7 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian grain exporter has denied Egypt's allegation that a huge wheat delivery to the country was unfit for consumption.
Egypt's top prosecutor has ordered an import company to return a 52,500-ton delivery worth $9.6 million to Russia.
The commercial director of Rosinteragroservis, Andrei Samoylenko, told RIA Novosti: "What is happening in Egypt is an outrage. There are no official allegations, and no official complaint has been lodged by the Egyptian government or the company that imported the grain."
"I do not rule out that this is a competitive battle between Egyptian suppliers of grain to the state purchasing company."
Egyptian Prosecutor General Mahmoud Abdel Maged has given instructions for a commission to be set up to oversee the return of the wheat to Russia.
Inspectors from the Egyptian Health Ministry said the grain contained admixtures, insects and heavy metals above the permissible levels. The grain was shipped in via the Safaga port without receiving a sanitary certificate, and was seized on May 13.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, attending the World Grain Forum in St. Petersburg, denied Egypt's accusations of inedible grain exports.
"We export only good-quality grain," he said.
