Egypt's Court of Cassation rejected prosecutors' challenge of the acquittal of a minister from the era of former president Hosni Mubarak, in a final decision Saturday. Former housing minister Ahmed al-Maghrabi and a businessman were put on trial for charges of seizing state land and squandering funds worth 25 million Egyptian pounds. They were both acquitted in April 2013, after the businessman gave up the land. Prosecutors lodged an appeal to challenge the acquittal. Yeth, the Court of Cassation's rejection of the challenge today means that the acquittal will be upheld. Maghrabi's lawyer said the case is considered closed since the acquittal in April 2013. Maghrabi was brought to court in multiple trials, like many Mubarak-era ministers, after an uprising in January 2011 brought an end to the president's 30-year rule. On Thursday, the Court of Cassation turned down a challenge to the acquittal of a former tourism minister who served under toppled president Hosni Mubarak of graft. Mubarak himself was ordered to stand retrial for complicity in the killing of protesters during the 18-day uprising, which toppled his regime, in a decision earlier this month. The acquittals of all other defendants in this case were upheld by the Court of Cassation, including Mubarak's two sons Alaa and Gamal and his former interior minister Habib al-Adly. Source: Aswat Masriya
