Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ahmed Fathallah on Tuesday flew to Spain to attend the inauguration of the new secretary general at the Union for the Mediterranean.
Sources said Fathallah discussed the case of wanted Egyptian business tycoon Hussein Salem with the Spanish foreign minister and other senior diplomats.
They said the Spanish officials understand Egypt’s point of view and expressed their willingness to help and brief their Egyptian counterparts on the legal intricacies of the case.
An Egyptian source also said that the attorney general sends Spain new documents pertaining to the case on a daily basis, and added that the Spanish authorities have not yet investigated whether Salem obtained Spanish citizenship by legal means.
The source added that it is difficult to extradite Salem to Egypt as he is a Spanish citizen, and that even if citizenship was withdrawn, he would first have to stand trial in Spain for crimes he allegedly committed there.
The source also said that Egypt and Spain do not have an extradition treaty, which makes it more difficult to return Salem to Cairo.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
