Egypt: Court acquits Mubarak era Minister of Information of corruption charges

Mubarak-era Minister of Information Anas El-Fiky in the courtroom
(Image: Ahram Online Arabic)

Anas El-Fiky, Mubarak-era Minister of Information, was acquitted of corruption charges by a Cairo Criminal Court on Wednesday, 10 February. He was acquitted during his retrial session, after his defense team submitted appeal of the earlier court verdict.

During the trial in February 2014 Anas El-Fiky was sentenced by Egyptian Court to one year in prison and fined EGP 1,800,000 after being convicted of acquiring illicit gains to EGP 33,400,000 during his career in the government (2002-2011) under Hosni Mubarak rule.

In January 2016 Egypt's Court of Cassation accepted El-Fiky's defense team appeal against the court ruling, ordered his retrial and release from detention.

Anas El-Fiky was a Minister of Information in Hosni Mubarak's Cabinet from 2004 till 2011, when Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down on the wake of the massive nationwide protests in January and February 2011, and the Cabinet of Minister was also dissolved.