Dubai: Official documents have convinced Lebanese authorities that Adel Ma'atouk was singer Suzanne Tamim's husband at the time of her murder in Dubai in July, Ma'atouk's lawyer said on Saturday.
"We have produced an official statement issued by Lebanon's interior ministry which confirmed that the renowned Pan-Arab star, Suzanne Tamim, had been married to our client Adel Ma'atouk until July 28, the day she was murdered in Dubai," Ma'atouk's Dubai-based legal representative, Dr Khalid Kadfour Al Muhairi, told a press conference on Saturday.
"We submitted the certificate to the criminal court in Cairo where two main suspects are being tried for the manslaughter of Suzanne, to prove with official documents that Ma'atouk was her only official husband," Al Muhairi said.
Dr Al Muhairi said that none of those who had earlier come forward claiming to be the husband of the deceased had been able to submit irrefutable proof to the Cairo court in the form of either a marriage certificate or a divorce certificate - to prove that Suzanne became such person's wife after divorcing Ma'atouk."The Lebanese Interior Ministry confirmed and in writing that Ma'atouk was her husband till the time she got murdered. There are others who claimed that they got married to Suzanne, a claim they have failed to prove before the Cairo Criminal Court which started prosecuting the suspects last week," he said.
The Egyptian public prosecution charged renowned Egyptian businessman and politician Hesham Tala'at Mustafa with prompting his compatriot Mohsen Al Sukkari, a former police officer, to kill the late singer and reportedly paying him $2 million to carry out the murder, which took place in a high-rise tower at Dubai Marina.
Dr Al Muhairi said he had attended the first hearing of the Cairo court and submitted a civil right claim against the two suspects. "The murder was a brutal and gruesome one and everybody and every religion strongly denounces the killing. Our client has sustained emotional and financial losses on the basis of which we have lodged a civil lawsuit against the suspects and we are seeking a temporary compensation of 5,001 Egyptian pounds (Dh3,335)," he added.
"I can confidently say that proceedings during the first hearing were purely judicial. The public and the media are strongly interested in this case. From what I have seen so far, the first hearing has cleared doubts raised by several individuals that the hearing would be politicised. I can vouch for the court proceedings and I greet the Egyptian justice system for upholding its fairness and independence as always," he said.
Strong case
The lawyer confirmed that Dubai's Police and Public Prosecution brought corroborated and concrete evidence against Mustafa, who was recently sentenced by the Dubai Court of First Instance to one year in jail in absentia for having consensual sex with an Uzbek prostitute who was served a six-month jail term followed by deportation.
By Bassam Za'za'
© Gulf News 2008
