Reader’s Digest has nominated a cabdriver whose testimony helped clear a Duke lacrosse player for its 2008 Hero of the Year Award.
Moezeldin Elmostafa, 38, of Durham, told investigators that Reade Seligmann was in his taxi during the time that Crystal Magnum, an exotic dancer, claimed she was raped by Seligmann and two of his teammates on March 14, 2006.
To give out its award, Reader’s Digest lets users vote among the “everyday heroes” nominated on its Web site. The magazine says it picked these people because they “risk their own lives to help people in trouble … without expectation of accolades or even a thank-you.”
After Elmostafa – an immigrant from Sudan – talked to investigators, a routine background check turned up a warrant against him for aiding and abetting misdemeanor larceny in a 2003 shoplifting case.
Yes, the notorious Nifong special, an obviously retaliatory prosecution against an inconvenient witness. Elmostafa was acquitted of the grave crime of giving a woman a cab ride without knowing she had stolen purses. He had also helped police find the women when he learned about the theft.
Another happy ending: WRAL writes that “Elmostafa told Reader’s Digest that he has passed his citizenship and is waiting to take his oath as an American citizen.” We are glad to have you, sir.
