Cairo Criminal Court sentenced the ex-Governor of Monufiya Hesham Abdel Basset to 10 years with a fine of LE58 million on charges of using his job for illicit gains.
Investigations by prosecution revealed that Abdel Basset gained LE58,795,942 and seized LE27,485,000 from the governorate budget after he assigned four development operations in several governmental buildings to a contractor through direct order in violation of the law of tenders and auctions.
Investigations revealed that Abdel Basset assigned value to the operations at LE92 million while the actual price of the operations was LE12 million.
Abdel Basset was also accused of money laundering, buying several properties and cars for himself and members of his family.
In March 2018, Attorney General Nabil Ahmed Sadek referred the defendant to a criminal trial for receiving and mediating a bribe between the governor and owners of a construction company.
The Administrative Control Authority (ACA) arrested Basset and the two other businessmen on corruption charges back in January.
Officers of the ACA arrested the governor and the businessmen during the delivery of a bribe, and they were then referred to the prosecution. Investigations proved the former governor’s involvement in the illegal allocation of a land plot for two businessmen in exchange for bribes.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
