CAIRO: Former Egyptian interior minister Habib Al-Adly has been arrested after failing to attend his sentencing in a trial over corruption charges, two security sources said on Tuesday.
Adly, who served under ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, was due to attend the final hearing in April and hand himself over to authorities, but did not show up and had been missing since then.
A copy of the April verdict obtained by Reuters showed that Adly and two other ministry officials were ordered to refund a total of 1.95 billion Egyptian pounds($109.83 million) and were fined the same amount.
Adly, who has denied the charges, is due back before the Court of Cassation, Egypt’s top civil court, for an appeal in January.
His lawyer could not be reached immediately for comment.
Egypt’s state news agency MENA earlier reported that Adly had been located, but did not disclose his location or whether he had been arrested.
A long-serving official at the head of Egypt’s feared internal security apparatus, Adly was acquitted of other graft charges two years ago.
He was also cleared in 2014, along with Mubarak and six aides, of charges related to killing protesters during the 2011 uprising which had led to their downfall.
($1 = 17.7550 Egyptian pounds)
Former Egypt interior minister Habib Al-Adly arrested
Former Egypt interior minister Habib Al-Adly arrested
Jordan’s king stresses need to preserve Christian presence in Middle East
- King Abdullah II holds talks with religious leaders in Amman
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan emphasized the importance of preserving a Christian presence in the Middle East on Monday during talks with religious leaders.
In meetings at Al-Husseiniya Palace with Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and Archimandrite Metodije of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the king called for an end to the violation of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem by Israel, which he said was seeking to change the historical and legal status quo, the Petra news agency reported.
The king reaffirmed Jordan’s religious and historical role in protecting holy sites under its Hashemite Custodianship.
Crown Prince Hussein, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the king’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs, Alaa Batayneh, director of the Office of His Majesty, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III also joined the talks, the report said.
King Abdullah stressed the need for all parties to adhere to the agreement to end the war in Gaza, ensure the flow of aid and prevent escalations in the occupied West Bank.
