Muhammad Ali pardoned corrupt experts whenever the army needed their skills

Evidence

The Pasha was a practical man and finding himself faced with situations like this he often had to violate some of the very principles which at other times he was seen to stress and to punish whoever deviated from them. Even the stern stance he took against corruption amongst his officials was sometimes compromised when this was expedient. It was once reported to him, for example, that the French instructor of the 19th Infantry Regiment had stolen 30 ardabbs of barley. The Pasha wrote to the Director of the War Department telling him that the instructor should be expelled from government service after giving him his salary. However, since he was an expert in his job and since his services were needed, “we should forget about the matter and have the lid covered on it (mektum kalmasi matlubumdur),” In another case on 2 August 1832 a court martial was convened to try two officers from the 7th and 8th Infantry Regiments which were fighting in Syria at that time. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 920