Three Egyptian ministers found guilty in German license plate case

From left: Youssef Boutros Ghali, Ahmed Nazif and Habib ElAdly

Another judgement has been given in the ongoing trials of former Egyptian leaders, with heavy fines and sentences handed down to three former ministers on Tuesday 12th July.

Former prime minister Ahmed Nazif, former interior Minister Habib ElAdly and former finance minister Youssef Boutros Ghali were found guilty of squandering public funds in relation to the issuing of license plates contracts to a German firm.

Boutros-Ghali, tried in absentia, received a 10 year sentence with labour, ElAdly, also tried in absentia, received a five year sentence with labour, while Nazif received a one-year suspended sentence. All three were fined LE 92 million (US$15 million), plus the reimbursement of an equal sum of money which they were found guilty of profiteering, according to the Daily News Egypt.

The three men were found guilty of squandering public funds by granting license plate contracts to German company Utsch through direct order, at above market prices.

While Egypt's tenders and auctions law does authorise the granting of contracts through direct orders in certain situations, the court in Cairo decided that in the instance in question, it had not been necessary to issue a direct contract, and that it was therefore illegal.

Defence lawyer Farid El-Deeb called the trial a 'campaign to seek revenge from the defendants' and said that the prosecution's investigations were inaacurate.

Following former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak's overthrow in February 2011, there has been a wave of corruption trials in Egypt, targeting former officials and close associates of Mubarak.

Many officials are facing numerous charges.

Boutros Ghali was found guilty of squandering public funds in a June trial. He was sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison, however he remains abroad: it is believed he divides his time between London and Lebanon.

ElAdly was found guilty of money laundering and profiteering in May and was sentenced to 12 years in jail.

Mubarak and his family are also facing charges of corruption.

Sources: Daily News Egypt, Reuters, Xinhua

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