The beginning of the end for Hanafy? Prime Minister Sherif Ismail summoned embattled Supply Minister Khaled Hanafy to discuss corruption claims surrounding wheat purchases and his alleged tax-payer funded stay in a Downtown hotel. The meeting came ahead of Hanafy’s scheduled grilling by the House of Representatives. Al Masry Al Youm was told by sources that Ismail has been shown documents that indicate Hanafy paid for the stay himself. Separately, Hanafy issued a statement, covered widely by the domestic press, saying submitting his resignation is not on the table and the issue was never brought up.

Meanwhile, rumors in the media continue to dog the minister. The latest: the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce paid for his hotel stay. The organization’s secretary general quickly issued a denial, Al Mal. The statement noted that Hanafy had been a consultant with the federation.

Separately: Hanafy outlined yesterday a plan to impose permits on the rice trade in outlying governorates to ration out the country’s supply. Hanafy made the remarks at a hearing on the government’s rice policy held by the House Agriculture Committee. He has also apparently increased the target for the rice harvest to 2.5 mn tonnes, up[ from a previous 2 mn, according to Al Shorouk. Hanafy continued to defend his reputation as a reformer, repeating previous statements on the success of the bread subsidy program and how he had long called for an overhaul of the system, the newspaper reports.