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Death upheld for murderer
Source: Agencies |
June 26, 2009, Friday
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AN Egyptian court yesterday ratified the death sentence of an Egyptian real estate mogul and his associate who were convicted of killing a Lebanese pop star.
Hisham Talaat Moustafa, who is also a former ruling party lawmaker, was convicted of paying a retired Egyptian police officer US$2 million to kill 30-year-old Suzanne Tamim, while she was in Dubai in July. Moustafa and Tamim were lovers.
Moustafa was sentenced to death on May 21 and after consulting with Egypt's grand mufti, the judge ratified the verdict yesterday.
In death penalty cases in Egypt, the judge must seek the opinion of the grand mufti, the country's highest religious authority. However, the grand mufti's opinion is not legally binding.
The hit man in the case, Mohsen el-Sukkary, was also sentenced to death, and slapped with an additional 10-year sentence for possession of weapons. The judge also ordered confiscation of the US$2 million.
The case has drawn a media frenzy in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.
Earlier yesterday, the Cairo court building was encircled by dozens of black-clad security forces. Moustafa and el-Sukkary arrived in two separate prison vehicles and were placed in a caged-off area for suspects, with a partition between them.
Moustafa, who appeared in plain clothes, and el-Sukkary, in a white prison jumpsuit, did not react to the judge's pronouncement.
Their lawyers said they will appeal within 60 days.
Tamim rose to stardom in the late 1990s but then hit troubled times, separating from her Lebanese husband-manager, who filed a series of lawsuits against her.
During interrogations, Moustafa said he broke up with his former lover Tamim after his mother opposed the couple's marriage plan.
Motives behind the killing are not yet known.
Hisham Talaat Moustafa, who is also a former ruling party lawmaker, was convicted of paying a retired Egyptian police officer US$2 million to kill 30-year-old Suzanne Tamim, while she was in Dubai in July. Moustafa and Tamim were lovers.
Moustafa was sentenced to death on May 21 and after consulting with Egypt's grand mufti, the judge ratified the verdict yesterday.
In death penalty cases in Egypt, the judge must seek the opinion of the grand mufti, the country's highest religious authority. However, the grand mufti's opinion is not legally binding.
The hit man in the case, Mohsen el-Sukkary, was also sentenced to death, and slapped with an additional 10-year sentence for possession of weapons. The judge also ordered confiscation of the US$2 million.
The case has drawn a media frenzy in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.
Earlier yesterday, the Cairo court building was encircled by dozens of black-clad security forces. Moustafa and el-Sukkary arrived in two separate prison vehicles and were placed in a caged-off area for suspects, with a partition between them.
Moustafa, who appeared in plain clothes, and el-Sukkary, in a white prison jumpsuit, did not react to the judge's pronouncement.
Their lawyers said they will appeal within 60 days.
Tamim rose to stardom in the late 1990s but then hit troubled times, separating from her Lebanese husband-manager, who filed a series of lawsuits against her.
During interrogations, Moustafa said he broke up with his former lover Tamim after his mother opposed the couple's marriage plan.
Motives behind the killing are not yet known.
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