Thursday, Jun 25, 2009
(Adds details, background)
CAIRO (AFP)--A Cairo court Thursday confirmed a death sentence against an Egyptian tycoon and former policeman for the murder of a Lebanese pop star after the verdict was approved by the country's top cleric.
Judge Al-Mohammedi Qunsua confirmed sentences of death by hanging for Hisham Talaat Mustafa and retired policeman Mohsen al-Sukkari for respectively ordering and carrying out the killing of Suzanne Tamim in a luxury Dubai apartment in July 2008.
The court initially issued its verdict in May, but in line with Islamic law, the death sentence had to be approved by the country's mufti.
The defendants were escorted out of the courtroom after the judge's proclamation which was greeted calmly by their friends and relatives, an AFP correspondent said, in sharp contrast to scenes of screaming and fainting during the May court session.
Since his appointment as mufti in 2003, Sheikh Ali Gomaa has received 480 requests to review death sentences and only refused two of them.
Defendants can still appeal the decision, a justice official said.
Mustafa, a stalwart of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party, was found guilty of paying Sukkari $2 million to cut the throat of his former lover Tamim, 30, at the flat they had bought together shortly before.
Mustafa, 49, was arrested in September and had his immunity lifted as member of the Shura Council, Egypt's upper house of parliament.
He ran the Talaat Mustafa Group real estate conglomerate that is worth several billion dollars, and is said to be close to President Hosni Mubarak's son and heir apparent, Gamal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
25-06-09 0702GMT
