The Cairo Criminal Court on Monday began the trial of several former government officials for their roles in gas exports to Israel.
On trial are two former petroleum ministers, Sameh Fahmy and Mahmoud Latif, as well as four former ministry officials and businessman Hussein Salem. The defendants included Hadi Fahmi, former president of the Egyptian Handball Federation, who is also Sameh Fahmy’s brother.
A report by the Central Auditing Agency was presented to the court by the prosecution, allegedly demonstrating the defendants’ involvement in illegal activity. The prosecution also presented to the court an order for the freezing of the first two defendants' assets.
Prosecution attorneys demanded the defendants be forced to pay LE1 million as temporary compensation, and that they be tried for treason and ruining the national economy. The prosecution requested the maximum sentence.
The head of the public funds prosecution said that Sameh Fahmy purposely worked against the country’s interests by charging the cabinet with negotiating with the Israeli government on the matter of exported natural gas. Fahmy was a government representative charged with negotiating with a foreign state, according to the prosecution.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
