Egypt overturns sentence of Mubarak-era minister

An Egyptian court yesterday quashed the conviction and prison sentence for alleged corruption against former interior minister, Habib Al-Adly, and ordered a retrial, Reuters reported quoting official judicial sources.

In April, a criminal court sentenced Al-Adly, who served under ousted president Hosni Mubarak before his fall following a popular uprising in 2011, to seven years in prison after convicting him on charges of abusing public funds and embezzlement.

The court also accepted an appeal submitted by eight other defendants who were sentenced to three to five years in prison, and granted them a retrial.

The former minister’s lawyer, Farid El-Deeb, told Reuters that the decision allows for Al-Adly, who did not attend the hearing, to be freed without further legal procedures.

In April, Al-Adly and two other ministry officials were ordered to refund a total of 1.95 billion Egyptian pounds ($109.83 million) and were fined the same amount.

Another six officials were also sentenced to five years in prison and faced fines of 62 million Egyptian pounds ($3.5 million). In addition, two others were sentenced to 3 years in prison and paid EGP 529 million Egyptian pounds ($299 million) in fines.

Read: Egypt court sentences 71 persons to 10 years in jail for ‘protesting without permission’