Mubarak's former Interior Minister cleared of corruption charges

Former Egyptian interior minister Habib al-Adly was acquitted of corruption charges on Thursday, in the latest ruling to clear officials from former president Hosni Mubarak’s reign.

Adly, the longest-serving interior minister under Mubarak from 1997-2011, was accused of illegally amassing a fortune worth $25m. He was slapped with a travel ban, and following Mubarak’s resignation as a result of the January 2011 uprising, was arrested on charges of corruption.

The 77-year-old was found guilty of fraud and money laundering and was sentenced in May 2011 to 12 years in prison.

His lawyer, Mohammed al-Gendy, appealed the sentencing. The Giza Criminal Court subsequently found Adly not guilty and lifted a freeze on his assets on Thursday. 

“Keeping him in jail for another hour would be illegal,” Gendy told AFP, while adding that he expected Adly to be released soon.

Last month, an appeals court overturned a suspended five-year sentence against Adly and former Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif over other corruption charges.

The verdict is the latest in a series of acquittals for Mubarak-era officials, including the veteran leader himself.

If Adly is released, he will be the last official from the Mubarak era to escape corruption charges.

Adly has already completed his three year jail term for using security officers as forced labour on property he owned.

The former minister had previously faced a separate set of charges related to giving orders to shoot at protesters during the 2011 uprising. At least 846 civilians were killed during the 18-day street protests, with most shot in the head or the chest.

He was found guilty of conspiring to kill the protesters and sentenced to life in prison in June 2012 by an Egyptian lower court, along with Mubarak who also faced the same trial. However, a year later, Egypt’s top appeals court the Court of Cassation, ordered a retrial.

In November, Adly and Mubarak were cleared of the charges. 

In contrast, the Egyptian courts have cracked down hard on liberal activists and supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organisation. Hundreds of people were condemned to death in mass trials and handed lengthy prison sentences for acts ranging from protesting to committing acts of violence.