The Cairo Criminal Court ordered Saturday prison sentences and heavy fines for Safwat El–Sherif, the former secretary general of the National Democratic Party and former speaker of the Shura Council, along with his sons, charged with illicit gains, state media reported.
According to state-owned Egynews, El-Sherif and his first son received a five-year prison term, while his second son was sentences to 10 years, in addition to the three being fined nearly EGP 209m. The verdict was issue in absentia.
Charges included using position and power to illegitimately amass fortunes, estimated at EGP 300m according to the Illicit Gains Control Authority, which demanded they give back EGP 600m that includes a fine equal to the seized amount of money, state-media added.
In 2012, El-Sherif received a release order on EGP 50,000 bail. El-Sherif’s release order came after he filed a complaint for being kept in preventative detention longer than the period allowed by law in criminal prosecutions.
Like many other Mubarak-era politicians and business tycoons, El-Sherif’s fortune came under fire following the 2011 revolution which toppled the former Egyptian president, notably Hussein Salem, who is still negotiating his “pay back” while remaining outside of Egypt.
Despite putting them on trial, Egypt has neither been successful in recovering embezzled funds nor applying penalties on the perpetrators of corruption.
