By Agencies
CAIRO: A Spanish court has agreed to extradite a fugitive Egyptian businessman who is on trial for corruption along with ousted president Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Friday.
Spain has informed the Egyptian ambassador in Madrid that a Spanish court “has agreed to hand Hussein Salem and his son Khaled to Egypt,” spokesman Amr Roshdy said in a statement.
The court is still looking at whether Salem’s daughter will also be extradited, he said.
Salem, a close associate of Mubarak was sentenced in absentia to seven years in jail in October for profiteering after being accused of selling natural gas to Israel at a low price.
He fled to Spain with his son and daughter after protesters revolted against Mubarak last year.
In June, Spanish police said they had frozen more than €30 million in bank accounts and properties valued at €10 million after arresting Salem along with his son and a suspected frontman.
The money was allegedly obtained illegally in Egypt and sent to Salem’s family accounts in Spain, the National Court’s order said Friday.
Salem left Egypt a week before Mubarak was forced to resign in February 2011, and protesters have pressed for the prosecution of Mubarak and his cronies for years of alleged abuse and corruption.