Former Egypt finance minister detained in France

Cairo: Former Egyptian finance minister Youssef Boutros Gali was detained in Paris on Monday on an international warrant over corruption charges relating to his time in former President Hosni Mubarak’s government, the state news agency reported.

Boutros Gali was sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison for corruption and abuse of power following the uprising that unseated Mubarak in 2011. He was one of a group of influential economic policymakers close to Mubarak’s son Gamal.

French police could not immediately be reached for comment. The Egyptian state news agency MENA said the Interior Ministry in Cairo would pursue steps necessary to secure his extradition. Boutros Gali, nephew to former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Gali, was detained after arriving in Paris from London. He left Egypt just after the 2011 uprising that was fuelled by economic hardship.