The Cairo Criminal Court on Saturday acquitted former information minister Anas al-Fiqqi from charges of squandering public funds in relation to soccer match broadcasts.
Fiqqi had an earlier seven-year sentence revoked and was granted a retrial on charges of intentionally wasting public funds by failing to come down on Egyptian satellite channels who broadcast the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons of the Egyptian premier league in violation of the law.
Fiqqi is awaiting a trial session on 22 October in a separate case related to charges of amassing illicit gains worth LE33,400 million by abusing his power as youth minister and information minister.
He served as youth minister and then information minister in the cabinet of Ahmed Nazif from 2004 until his resignation in 2011 following the toppling of former president Hosni Mubarak.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
