CAIRO, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court sentenced a former deputy governor on Wednesday to 12 years in prison over bribery charges related to illegal constructions.
Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Suad al-Khouly, former deputy governor at the northern and seaside province of Alexandria, to 12 years over receiving about 1 million Egyptian pounds (over 56,000 U.S. dollars) from some businessmen to stop a removal decision of illegally constructed buildings on state-owned lands.
Busted by the Administrative Control Authority (ACA) in August 2017, the lady was also accused of attempting to exempt the businessmen from paying fines for such violations, which amounted to 10 million Egyptian pounds (over 560,000 dollars) according to the ACA.
She also got an extra but suspended one-year jail term and was expelled from her post by court order.
Meanwhile, the court handed Akram al-Dakkak, former chief of the province's environment department, a suspended one-year prison term, sacked him, and acquitted the other five defendants.
The case is part of a massive anti-corruption campaign launched by Egypt over the past few years that led to the arrest and imprisonment of several officials and senior employees and the retrieval of large amounts of public money.
In January last year, former governor of Minufiya province north of the capital Cairo and two businessmen were arrested over bribery, profiteering and looting public funds.
