The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Monday former minister in the government of former president Hosni Mubarak, Ibrahim Soliman, to three years in prison over corruption charges.
Soliman was facing charges of squandering public funds and illegal seizure of state lands.
The court ordered the former housing minister, and fugitive businessman Magdy Rasekh, to return EGP 970m to the state treasury.
Rasekh was handed five years in prison in absentia.
Other officials received various smaller sentences, ranging from a fine to one year in prison.
Although most of Mubarak-era officials were accused of corruption and illegal profiting, many of the current pro-government forces, some of which are decision makers or future parliament members, continue to defend the regime of Mubarak and attack the 25 January Revolution.
In several court cases, Mubarak men, including businessmen, police officers, and ministers, walked free, due to “lack of evidence”.
The beginning of the week witnessed the return of some Mubarak-era politicians into the political scene. Newly appointed Local Development Minister Ahmed Zaki Badr was education minister in 2010.
