Egypt sentences ex-interior minister Adly to 7 years

Court finds him and 10 other interior ministry officials guilty of embezzling more than $110 million

By AFP 15 April 2017, 4:14 pm Edit

Former Egyptian interior minister Habib Al-Adly, speaking about the 9/11 attacks, during his trial in Cairo in August 2014. (photo credit: screen capture)

CAIRO — An Egyptian court sentenced former interior minister Habib al-Adly to seven years in prison for corruption Saturday, in one of the last cases against Hosni Mubarak-era officials following his 2011 overthrow.

Adly, who was seen as a brutal enforcer for the ousted strongman Mubarak, can appeal the verdict.

The sentencing came less than a month after Mubarak himself was freed from detention, following his acquittal over charges of involvement in protester deaths during the 18-day revolt that unseated him.

Adly and other police commanders had also been acquitted of those charges.

An Egyptian protester carries symbolic heads depicting ousted President Hosni Mubarak, center, and from left, his son Alaa, his interior minister Habib al-Adly, wife Suzanne and son Gamal during a rally protesting the outcome of the Mubarak trial at Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, (AP/Nasser Nasser)

But the court on Saturday found him and 10 other interior ministry officials guilty of embezzling more than two billion pounds (about $110 million) while Adly was interior minister.