Madrid's constitutional court has delayed making a decision to extradite fugitivebusiness tycoon Hussein Salemto Egypt until a decision is made on the business tycoon's request to stay Spain. The court obliged Salem to report to a police station daily to prove that he has not left the country.

In May, the Spanish courts rejected Salem's appealonan earlier court ruling that binds the Spanish government to extradite him and his two sons to Egypt.

Meanwhile, Egypt is demanding the handover of 79-year-old Salem after he was tried in absentia on charges ofillegally acquiring public property and sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Cairo criminal court in March.

Salem was also accused along with ousted strongman Hosni Mubarak of squandering public funds but was acquitted earlier this month along with Mubarak and his two sons. The court justified its decision by stating that the 10-year statue of limitations on the graft allegations had expired.

In June 2011 Salem, who carries both Egyptian and Spanish nationalities,was detained in Spain on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol. He was released by Spanish authorities the same month after paying 27 million euro in bail.

The aging business tycoon left Egypt for Spainjust days into last year's 18-day uprising.

Salem is known to have enjoyed close ties with the toppled president.



Translated from the Arabic.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/44649.aspx