Cairo Airport authorities on Sunday impounded 100 parcels they say contain the personal property of Hussein Salem, the fugitive Egyptian business tycoon who fled the country at the end of January.
According to authorities, Salem was attempting to smuggle various personal effects out of the country under the cover of the daughter of Saudi Chief of Intelligence Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz al-Seoud.
Although Salem’s name did not appear on the freight documents, which were signed by a Palestinian middleman called Mahmoud Khalil Abu Foul, the authorities discovered upon inspection that the contents of the parcels appeared to belong to Salem.
The three-ton shipment was sent by Saudi Princess Lamiaa bint Muqrin to her sister Princess Mansour.
Informed sources said the content included a carpet bearing Salem’s name and that of his wife, a set of gold-plated cutlery, pictures of Salem with deposed President Hosni Mubarak and other Arab rulers, credit cards, club membership cards, clothes, watches, antiquities and CDs.
Bint Muqrin said that she had bought a palace from Salem in 6th of October City five years ago and that the impounded items were part of the sale. Then she decided to sell the palace and leave Cairo with those items, she said.
Customs officer Mohamed Elewa insisted on inspecting the shipment, despite objections from the Palestinian man, who contends that the parcels’ contents belong to him.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
