Egypt accepts resignation of ‘cannabis judge’

Egypt’s Justice Minister, Hossam Abdel Reheem, accepted the resignation of Judge Tarek Mohamed Zaki after security forces arrested him in possession of 68 kilogrammes of cannabis in his car in a tunnel between Suez and North Sinai provinces northeast of the capital Cairo.

A judicial source reported that the “cannabis judge”, chief of Sharqiya Misdemeanour Court, resigned on Wednesday and the justice minister immediately accepted.

The legal source also noted that the acceptance of the judge’s resignation deprives him of any end of service payment or any rights he would have received as a resigned judge because he committed a crime. He added that the Supreme Judicial Council decided to lift immunity from the judge in order to begin the investigation.

The judge was arrested along with a 20-year-old student at Zagazig University both in possession of drugs. A 23-year-old driver was also arrested.