Mokhtar Serag and Hussein Hussein, who came back from the doomed journey to Turkey, added another surprising story to the 'death' boat file.

They said the Egyptian ambassador to Turkey had promised to give them official papers to be able to continue their trip to Greece if they helped him identify the bodies of the Egyptians that were found. Yet after they have identified 50 bodies, he deported them to Cairo, after forcing them to sign papers to pay back their deportation cost of LE 4.000 at the police station in Egypt.

They said he had told them the ticket would not exceed LE 1500, but they found out it cost 600 euros, as they were deported on business class. They wondered: "How can we afford business class?"

Serag told al-Masry al-Youm: "I called the Turkish police after I survived the accident to say that there may be other survivors. I could have fled to Greece, but I was concerned about my fellow countrymen. So I revealed my identity to the police so that I could help them save the others who were onboard the boat with me, especially that 14 of them were from my village of Bosat Karim Eddin in Dakahlia."

He added: "The Egyptian ambassador came four days later to where we were detained and asked me why I attempted to immigrate to Greece illegally. I told him because I needed a job. He then asked me to help in identifying the bodies in return for helping me go to Greece with official papers."

He continued: "I have identified 50 bodies on my personal responsibility, but he then disappeared and I haven't seen him till now. 22 days later, I was taken to the embassy headquarters in Istanbul. I could have fled at any moment, but the ambassador's promise had assured me that I would go to Greece."

He added: "An assistant of the ambassador told me that he was instructed to deport me to Egypt at my own expense.

He did not answer me when I told him of my agreement with the ambassador, and told me I had no choice. I believed him when he said the cost of my return trip would be LE 1500, and I signed the papers. But when I arrived at Cairo Airport, the security officer told me the cost of the ticket was 600 euros, i.e. more than LE 4.000