Tamim's murder trial begins in Cairo amid tight security

Cairo: Egyptian construction magnate Hesham Tala'at Mustafa and a former policeman pleaded innocent to murder and incitement charges on Saturday at their high profile trial for the murder of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim in Dubai in July.

The trial began on Saturday in a southern Cairo courtroom amid tight security. Scores of reporters and cameramen had to wait outside the courtroom as an Egyptian judge opened the hearings in the widely followed case involving Mustafa, a top real-estate developer and a senior politician in President Hosni Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party, and his co-defendant, former police officer Mohsen Al Sukkary. Both men appeared in the dock as 150 people were squeezed in the small hall.

Found dead

They denied involvement in the murder of the pop singer, who was found dead in her Dubai Marina flat on July 28. Al Sukkary had earlier been quoted as telling investigators that Mustafa had ordered him to kill Tamim in return for $2 million (Dh7.34 million).

The charge sheet said Mustafa's motive was revenge but it did not explain his relationship with Tamim in detail. In response to the charges, Mustafa told the judge: "It did not happen and I have presented all the evidence that I am not guilty."

"It did not happen," said Sukkary. "By Almighty God my blood is innocent of her."

Both defendants face the death penalty if convicted.

Judge Mohammad Qunsawa, who presided over the session, adjourned the trial until November 15 to allow defence lawyers more time to check documents.

Around 20 lawyers are involved in the case, which has generated media frenzy in the Arab world. Several non-Egyptian lawyers, including two Emiratis, attended Saturday's session.

Some of them represented Lebanese producer Adil Matouq and Iraqi-born British boxer Ryad Azzawi. Both Matouq and Azzawi claim Tamim was their wife at the time of her murder.

Tamim rose to fame in 1996 after winning in an Arab music contest and came to Egypt three years ago, where she had allegedly had an affair with Mustafa.

With inputs from Reuters