Youssef Boutros-Ghali tried in absentia after going on the run following Mubarak's departure; also ordered to pay millions in fines.
By REUTERS, JPOST.COM STAFFBoutros Ghali 311(photo credit: REUTERS)
CAIRO - An Egyptian court convicted former finance minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali in absentia on Saturday and sentenced him to 30 years in prison for squandering public funds and abuse of other funds, a court source said.The court also ordered him to return 30 million Egyptian pounds ($5.05 million) and to pay an additional 30 million pounds in fines, the source said.RELATED:Where fear and blindness dominateMubarak fined $33m for cutting phones during protestsBoutros-Ghali was tried in absentia. His whereabouts have been a mystery since he went on the run on February 11, the day former president Hosni Mubarak stepped down following massive Egyptian protest. Since the revolution, four former ministers and Mubarak himself have been convicted of various forms of corruption, but Boutros-Ghali's sentencing is the most severe so far.Last month, Mubarak and two former officials 540 million Egyptian pounds ($90.64 million) for cutting off mobile and internet services during January protests.The administrative court fined Mubarak 200 million pounds, former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif 40 million pounds, and former interior minister Habib Adly 300 million pounds for their damage to the national economy, the source said.Click for full Jpost coverage of turmoil in the Middle EastThis was the first court ruling to be made against Mubarak since he was ousted on Feb. 11. Mubarak faces more serious charges, including ordering the killing of protesters, a charge which could carry the death penalty.
