Former Egyptian minister gets 3-year sentence over corruption

CAIRO -- An Egyptian court sentenced on Monday former housing minister Ibrahim Suleiman to three years in prison over corruption charges, official MENA news agency reported.

Serving under former president Hosni Mubarak from 1993 to 2005, Suleiman was convicted of illegally assigning a land for a real estate company that belonged to a business tycoon and father-in-law of Mubarak's son Alaa, which resulted in a loss of 1 billion Egyptian pound (about $128 million) to the state.

Many of Mubarak's ministers and senior officials were arrested over similar charges following the January 2011 revolution, but most have eventually been acquitted over the past few years.

In February, Mubarak-era prime minister Ahmed Nazif, interior minister Habib al-Adly and oil minister Sameh Fahmy were acquitted of profiteering and corruption charges. Mubarak's culture minister Farouk Hosni was acquitted of similar charges in 2013.

Mubarak, who is currently staying in a military hospital, and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, were sentenced in May to three years in prison over a corruption case but the term has already passed as they had been in custody since 2011.

The former leader and his interior minister have also been acquitted of the responsibility for the killing of protesters in 2011.