Mubarak’s closest aides acquitted

Reuters, AP
Police officers sit in front of cells during a trial in a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt, in this photo taken on December 6, 2015. (REUTERS)

CAIRO: A Cairo court acquitted one of deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s closest aides in a retrial in a corruption case, state news agency MENA reported on Saturday.
While courts have absolved several Mubarak-era officials, they have been handing down lengthy sentences to liberal and radical activists in cases ranging from protesting to committing acts of violence.
Zakaria Azmi, Mubarak’s former chief of staff, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2012 and fined 36.4 million Egyptian pounds ($6 million) on charges of making illegal gains.
But in 2013, the appeals court ordered a retrial in that case in, and a separate criminal court ordered his release.
In an unrelated development, Egyptian airport officials said on Friday that authorities have more than doubled the cost of entry visas for foreign visitors starting next week.
The officials said Friday that foreigners will have to pay $60 per visa, up from $25 and $70 for multiple entry visas. They added that banks and tour agencies received a notification from the Foreign Ministry about the new price hike, which will go into effect on Wednesday.