The legal department was established according to articles (131,132) of the central bank of Egypt law no.88 for the year 2003 and its amendments, comprising experts in banking, economic and legal affairs to undertake the examination and study of the reports received by the Governor.
The Governor of the central Bank receives what is sent by the public prosecution, and control and security parties, concerning banking violations related to finance and credit facilities. This is then referred to the specialized department to compose teams to undertake the on-site examination, study the forwarded case, and prepare a report with the results, to be submitted to the governor along with its views & recommendations. Accordingly, the governor makes the decision whether to permit the
investigation parties to undertake the investigation procedures or not. In case of approval, the specialized prosecution requests the formation of an examination committee that will take the legal oath and submits its report as a preliminary step of directing the case to the specialized court if needed.
Moreover, the department participates in the dispute resolution process between banks and their customers and/or employees in accordance with Article (133) of the CBE law no.88 for year 2003.
In this case, the central bank of Egypt through its legal department receives the "settlement minutes" for study to assure that the settlement was approved and undertaken by the relevant authority along with the fulfillment of the approved settlement conditions. This is then submitted to the governor for accreditation as a preliminary step toward its notarization and activation at courts and other investigation parties.
In addition to the above, the employees of this department are to be delegated, upon the request of courts, to undertake the examination of the banking events that raises legal disputes in front of courts. As well as the examination of cases investigated by the supreme nation's security prosecution concerned with the suspicion in money laundering operations. Besides, the departments receives cases from the illicit gain unit at the ministry of justice, the organization of administrative
supervision and other investigation parties, where committees are composed in order to undertake the examination of facts and submit a report to the ordering party. This is then followed by discussion sessions attended by the composed committee members and the investigation parties in order to complete the procedures undertaken , the committees are then subject to testify in court.
2nd: The foreign exchange cases
This sub department examines and studies the foreign exchange cases received from commercial and financial affairs prosecution, in accordance with Article (131) of the CBE law no.88 for the year 2003, concerning crimes stipulated in articles (31, 111, 116) of the same law.
It then composes reports of the results and opinions, to be submitted to the governor to take the decision of whether to undertake investigation procedures and file a criminal law suite or not.
3rd : Complains Department
It was established in the CBE to receive customers complains against banks, whether by Email, mail, or fax. It also receives customers complains from different parties (Cabinet ministers, ministry of finance, ministry of working labor ….. and others).
First, complains are classified according to its subject (credit settlements, credit cards, issuance, renewal and liquidation of letters of grantee, credit/debit interest, fees and commissions applied by banks for different services, … others).
Then, the complains are sent to the concerned banks for studying in attempt to solve their customers complains, taking into consideration that banks study and solve those complains in accordance with banks internal policies and procedures,
prudential regulations and the CBE law no.88 for the year 2003. The department makes sure that banks follow up and respond to customers complains, and that similar problems will not occur again in order to protect customer's rights, in case of any faults or mistakes from banks.
Concerning complains received by the CBE, that raise legal disputes and law suits in front of specialized courts, no decisions should be taken until the court issue its decision.