The Court of Cassation today overturned the guilty verdict against all those implicated in the Hidelina contaminated blood bags scandal, including former MP Hani Sorour, owner of the company and his sister.
The case, which has caused a public outcry and lead to a decline in blood donations, centred around the alleged distribution of as many as 300,000 bags of contaminated blood to hospitals in Egypt. Sorour who had fled the country was sentenced to three years in absentia.
Sorour and two other suspects turned themselves over to the Court of Cassation in May and have been serving their sentences since then, pending the results of the appeal. None of the accused attended the session, although several family members were present. They seemed unable to believe what they were hearing as the final verdict was delivered.
The bench was headed by the Vice President of the Court of Cassation Mahmoud Abdel Meguid.
A judicial source confirmed that Court of Cassation has acted legally and has the full jurisdiction to issue such a ruling.
Meanwhile, a security source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that once the results have been submitted to the Ministry of the Interior all the acquitted prisoners, including Sorour and his sister will be released. The prisoners are currently in the prisons of Mazraet Tora, and the women’s prison in Qanater.
Translated from the Arabic Ediiton.
