Reconciliation with Mubarak-era minister awaits UN response

CAIRO – 9 January 2019: One of the outstanding illicit graft cases is pending investigation into reconciliation request, where ex-Finance Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali could be cleared of corruption charges that sentenced him to 15 years in absentia if he met legal requirements.

Required to return L.E. 35.8 million to the government, Ghali has not returned home since he fled to Britain in 2011 after mass protests toppled Mubarak's regime and his cabinet. He was consequently sacked from his position over charges of corruption and abuse of power.

Ghali, who is a nephew to U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali, is accused of using printers that belong to the Finance Ministry in his campaign in the 2010 parliamentary election. He is also charged with using impounded cars worth L.E. 35,791,000 for his personal use.

The former finance minister requested a reconciliation deal with the government, upon which the Illicit Gain Authority (IGA) formed a committee, and estimated his wealth at L.E. 300 million with unexplained inflation. Ghali rejected the value as incomprehensible for not including salaries of his previous jobs as economic advisor for the cabinet during the period from 1986 to 1998, as well as an advisor for the UN office in Cairo for 10 years, where he was paid in dollars.

According to the IGA, information about his cabinet salary (worth L.E. 600,000) was received, while the authority is waiting for the UN to respond to the inquiry about Ghali’s monthly payment details.

The remaining sum after deduction from the original fine will be required to be paid by Ghali for concluding the settlement deal.

Meanwhile, Ghali’s retrial over the same corruption charges is undergoing, with the last hearing session adjourned to February.

As several graft cases as well as reconciliation deals are sent to the IGA for scrutiny, a committee of judges is dedicated to finalize final reports on each case, and to decide its referral to trial or settlement approval.

During 2018, the IGA has referred around 26 cases to criminal trials over illicit gain charges, in which defendants were found guilty of influence peddling and failed to prove the source of the unusual increase in their wealth.