Mohamed Abd El Ghany / Reuter
Alleged voice recordings of senior Egyptian officials revealed Sunday that the United Arab Emirates paid the Egyptian Defense Ministry to incite protest against former President Mohamed Morsi before he was ousted in 2013. The recordings, which could not be authenticated, were released by Istanbul-based Islamist satellite channel Mekameleen and allegedly include a conversation between one of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s top aides and then-military chief of staff Gen. Sedky Sobhy, who is now defense minister. Egyptian officials have said the recordings are fabricated but the audio suggests the Emirates and Egyptian military helped organized the protests that led to Morsi’s removal. A spokesman for the Egyptian military declined to comment while a spokesman for the president’s office did not respond to a request for comment.