Egypt’s national security services arrested Tuesday former Prime Minister Hisham Qandil who has been sentenced to a year in jail for failing to execute a court verdict, state news agency MENA reported.

"Security forces managed to arrest Hisham Qandil, former prime minister, in carrying out a court order issued against him. He was caught in a mountain area with smugglers trying to flee to Sudan," Egypt's interior ministry said in a statement published by Reuters.

In September, a Cairo Misdemeanor Court has upheld an earlier ruling against the former Prime Minister sentencing him to one year in prison for failure to implement the Administrative Court verdict ordering the re-nationalisation of the Tanta Flax and Oil Company. The lawsuit against Qandil was instigated by a number of the company’s workers.

The company was privatised in 2005, when it was sold to Saudi investor Abdel-Ellah Al-Kaaky for less than its total value, forcing hundreds of workers into retirement. In September 2011, the Administrative court ruled against the privatization of Tanta Flax and Oil. A year later, the Administrative Court overturned an appeal filed against the renationalisation of the company.

Qandil was appointed as Egypt’s PM by deposed president Mohamed Morsi in August 2012, remaining in office until Morsi’s ouster on 3 July. An interim-government led by PM Hazem El-Beblawi was sworn in shortly after.

Since Morsi’s ouster, his supporters have been facing a harsh crackdown that left thousands of Muslim Brotherhood leaders in detention.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/89991.aspx