CAIRO: Tens of Egyptians gathered by the Spanish embassy on Friday to demand the extradition of businessman Hussein Salem and the return of Egyptian funds he holds there. Salem's trial in Egypt is set to start on Aug. 3 for charges of corruption and profiteering through ties with ousted president Hosni Mubarak, who is set to stand trial on the same day. Among other charges, Salem is accused of making $2 billion in profit by selling Egyptian natural gas with prices lower than production costs and international markets'. Salem, his son and an associate were arrested in Spain on June 16. He's being questioned for a money-laundering case in Spain and the extradition to Egypt based on an international arrest warrant. “Hussein is an Egyptian citizen and he should be tried here,” said Mohamed Azmi, a Spanish tour guide and translator. The Egyptian prosecution said June 17 it had filed documents to the Spanish government detailing charges against Salem, including a copy of his Egyptian passport. The prosecutor said Salem used the Egyptian passport in the period between 2005 and 2011, which proves his Egyptian citizenship, claiming it's a violation of Spanish laws that prohibits dual citizenship. Spain has frozen €33 million ($47 million) in accounts held by Salem and relatives and seized homes worth €10 million ($14 million). Bail was set at €27 million. Azmi brought the protesters together through a Facebook group calling for the return of Egypt's “stolen funds”. They had gathered at the embassy at 9 am. Speaking to Daily News Egypt in the afternoon, the protesters carried signs in Arabic and Spanish, demanding the extradition of Salem. Mohamed Saied Mohamed, a welder, heard about a call for a “million man march” to demand Salem's extradition in local newspapers. “I'm an ordinary citizen with no political inclinations,” said Mohamed, adding that he nevertheless requested the Spanish authorities to show their goodwill towards the Egyptian people by extraditing Egypt's Salem.
