Court acquits Mubarak-regime petroleum minister

The North Cairo Criminal Court acquitted Mubarak-era petroleum minister Sameh Fahmy and five of his associates of charges of wasting public funds and profiteering during a retrial session on Saturday.
In late March 2013, the Court of Cassation ordered the retrial of Fahmy in the Egypt-Israel gas export case, where he is accused of selling Egyptian natural gas to Israel at low prices.
Fahmy, together with business tycoon Hussein Salem, were sentenced to 15 years in jail in June 2012 for squandering public funds in a gas deal with Israel.
The court also gave prison sentences ranging from 3 to 10 years against the former Petroleum Ministry officials tried with him in connection with the case.
Fahmy submitted an appeal against the original convictions and the court ordered a retrial. Salem, however, still faces a 15-year sentence and has not appealed his verdict as he was convicted in absentia.
Salem, a founding shareholder of East Mediterranean Gas Company (EMG), which supplied Israel with gas from June 2008, was accused of collaborating with EMG to profit from gas deals with Israel.
Egypt terminated its natural gas export contract with Israel in April 2012.