Region | Egypt

Request from UAE spurred investigation

Egypt on Tuesday referred a leading businessman to a criminal court to face charges of involvement in the killing of Lebanese singer Suzan Tamim in Dubai in July.

  • By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent
  • Published: 23:15 September 2, 2008
  • Gulf News

Cairo: Egypt on Tuesday referred a leading businessman to a criminal court to face charges of involvement in the killing of Lebanese singer Suzan Tamim in Dubai in July.

Egypt's Prosecutor-General Abdul Meguid Mahmoud ordered that Hesham Tala'at Mustafa, the chairman of one of the country's biggest construction companies, face trial after a suspected killer had claimed in investigations that Mustafa was involved in the murder of the singer.

Tamim, 30, was found murdered in a luxury apartment in Dubai on July 28.

Egyptian authorities had some weeks back arrested a former Egyptian police officer and two hotel security personnel who had reportedly confessed to having killed Tamim on behalf of an Egyptian businessman. One of the suspects apparently admitted that they had received $2 million (Dh7.3 million) for the hatchet job.

A statement released yesterday from the prosecutor-general's office said that Egypt had pursued investigations into the case upon a request from authorities in the UAE, with which Egypt has a judicial cooperation pact.

The prosecutor-general has issued orders to have the names of the defendants blacklisted and for them to "be banned from leaving the country", added the statement.

Mustafa is a member of the Egyptian Parliament and a leading figure in the ruling National Democratic Party.

Mahmoud said investigations had been initiated against Mustafa after notifying parliament.

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