CAIRO: Spain's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Egyptian businessman Hussein Salem to remain in detention, the country's Diario Sagelo reported. According to the report, Salem could pay five million Euros and be extradited to Egypt, where is currently being tried on corruption charges in absentia. The court issued the order after Salem claimed he does not have the funds to cover his bail after his assets were frozen in Spanish banks, the paper noted. The authorities also confiscated funds from his house. Since Salem is unable to prove that he cannot provide funds to be extradited, the court decided to reduce his bail to five million Euros, according to the report. The court issued a decision to take necessary measures to verify Salem's allegations and provide a final solution that maintains conditions imposed in its of decree of July 18. Salem, a former top confidant to Egypt's deposed President Hosni Mubarak, is on trial for corruption and the stealing of Egyptian money. Many activists have called on Spain to extradite the wealthy businessman back to Egypt so he could be present for his trial, which began on August 3, along with Mubarak. The only hiccup appears to be worries by Spanish authorities that if convicted, Salem could face the death penalty. Under European Union conventions, it is forbidden to extradite an EU citizen – Salem has Spanish citizenship – to a country where the accused could face the death penalty. Legal experts in Cairo close to the case have told Bikyamasr.com that they do not believe Salem would face the death penalty if convicted. “I expect him to spend a lot of time in jail when he is convicted of all the crimes he committed, but right now the death penalty for him is not likely,” said a well-informed source. The trial of the former president, his two sons Alaa and Gamal as well as Salem continues next week. BM
