The Spanish Supreme Court has approved the extradition of Egyptian businessman Hussein Salem, his son Khaled and daughter Magda to Egypt.
It confirmed a verdict issued by another Spanish court in March to extradite Salem and his children for their retrial over charges of money laundering, seizing state lands and exporting natural gas to Israel at low prices.
Assistant Minister of Justice Asim al-Gohary said he received a phone call from the international law firm that represents Egypt saying the court issued its decision Friday.
Gohary added that the committee formed to recover the money smuggled abroad will arrange the reception of the three suspects.
The Illicit Gains Office will interrogate Salem over charges of corruption and exporting gas to Israel at low prices.
A close friend of Hosni Mubarak, Salem fled to Spain during Egypt's 25 January uprising last year. After Mubarak's resignation, Egypt called on Interpol to arrest Salem for bribery, abuse of power, and squandering public money. He was then monitored by the Spanish government, which found evidence implicating him in money laundering in Spain.
On 10 October 2011, the Spanish secretary of state announced that Spain intended to hand Salem, who has both Egyptian and Spanish citizenship, to the Egyptian authorities for trial on charges of corruption.
Salem was tried in absentia at Cairo's Criminal Court. The court is also considering the case of Mubarak's corruption, and is scheduled to issue a verdict on 2 June.
