Fugitive businessman Hussein Salem has offered to turn half of his properties over to the state in return for clemency, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Salem, who is currently in Spain, proposed giving half of his own properties and those of his grandchildren, both at home and abroad, to the government if the public funds prosecution agrees to drop all charges against him.
Lawyer Tareq Abdel Aziz told Al-Masry Al-Youm that he filed Salem’s request in hopes of getting all corruption charges dropped, and to ensure that his client would not be prosecuted in or outside of the country.
Salem is implicated in multiple cases — one involving the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Company that exports gas to Israel, and another involving Al Bayedeya lands in Luxor, a case that also implicates Alaa and Gamal Mubarak. Salem is also accused of profiting from his relationship with ousted President Hosni Mubarak, corruption and illegally seizing public money.
Abdel Aziz said that he would begin cataloguing his client’s wealth on Monday with the help of specialized entities accredited by the Central Bank of Egypt.
The businessman owns nearly 40 properties, Abdel Aziz said, including villas, palaces and companies, such as water treatment and sewage companies in Sharm el-Sheikh. He also owns several hotels, including three five-star hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh and one in Luxor.
Judicial sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the Qatari prosecutor general is mediating the reconciliation attempts between Salem and the Egyptian government, on the basis of the role played by Qatar in helping Egypt and the Arab Spring countries to recover their money abroad.
Mostafa Husseini, attorney general for public funds prosecution, announced on Thursday that the prosecution is considering Salem’s request.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
