Egypt's former Housing Minister Ahmed El-Maghrabi (R) and former Tourism Minister Zuhair Garana arrive at court in a police vehicle in north Cairo February 23, 2011 (Photo: Reuters)
Egypt’s criminal court acquitted former ministers of tourism and housing Zuhair Garana and Ahmed El-Maghrabi of corruption charges on Saturday
Both former ministers served under the toppled president Hosni Mubarak and were accused of squandering public funds and selling state-owned lands in Hurghada and Ain Sokhna below their real values.
Garana and El-Maghrabi remain imprisoned in Cairo’s Tora on other charges.
An Egyptian court ordered in February the retrial of Garana who was sentenced to three years on corruption charges related to issuing licenses to tourism agencies that he and his business acquaintances owned.
In December, Egypt's Court of Cassation cancelled a verdict incriminating El-Maghrabi for squandering and profiteering from public funds. In May 2011, he was sentenced to five years in prison and fined for his part in an illegal land deal.
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