Egypt tycoon gets retrial over singer's murder in Dubai

Monday, 16 January 2012 5:46 PM

Suzanne Tamim was murdered in her apartment in Dubai in July 2008

An Egyptian court on Monday ordered a second retrial of property tycoon and ex-politician Hesham Talaat Moustafa, who is serving a 15-year sentence for his role in the murder of a Lebanese singer.

The former member of parliament and former chairman of property firm Talaat Moustafa Group was found guilty in 2009 of paying an Egyptian security man to kill Suzanne Tamim, and sentenced to death by hanging.

That verdict was commuted to 15 years in prison after a retrial in 2010.

The court said in its ruling on Monday that Talaat Moustafa and the security man, Muhsen el-Sukkari, would be tried again by an appeal court on Feb. 6. It gave no reason for the decision.

Talaat Moustafa was a member of parliament for the party of ousted President Hosni Mubarak at the time of his original conviction. The case reinforced the belief among many Egyptians that the political class was a corrupt and venal elite that felt above the law.

Mubarak's overthrow in a popular uprising last February unleashed a string of other court cases against top businessmen and government officials, most of them dealing with corruption and abuse of power.

The original indictment said Sukkari killed Tamim at her apartment in Dubai in July 2008, after tricking her into opening the door by posing as a representative of the building's owners.

The charge sheet said Moustafa's motive was revenge, but it did not explain his relationship with Tamim in detail.

Tamim, who was 30, rose to fame after winning the top prize in a television show in 1996. She married Lebanese impresario and producer Adel Matouk, who became her manager, but they later had an acrimonious divorce, media reports said.

The case was tried in Egypt as the country does not allow the extradition of its citizens to face trial abroad.

The original trial and verdict hit the value of shares in Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG), the real estate developer which Talaat Moustafa's late father created and the defendant chaired.

Moustafa, who was born in 1959, eventually gave up the chairmanship of TMG to his brother Tarek.

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Posted by: John Tuesday, 17 January 2012 10:55 AM[UAE] - UK

The UAE, and Dubai in particular, played this one by the book and did a professional, world class bit of police work to identify the suspects and provide forensic information. They were also studious in the handling of Tamim's family, repatriated the body swiftly and ensured that the crime scene was secured. If Egypt's justice system is to be respected it must not discount the work of the Dubai police. It will be a scandal if these convicted murderers walk.

Posted by: Telcoguy Saturday, 21 January 2012 10:40 AM[UAE] - UAE

@KO, this is more or less what I heard too. That it was all a big set up after he refused to sell a substantial share of his business to the son of an important man now no longer so important.

In any case justice will be ill served, if he is sentenced again there will be an important sector of Egyptian society who will believe that the legal system is used by the powerful to settle scores. If he is let go free, another sector will believe the powerful can get away with murder, literally. Some people may be ready to believe any of those depending on the outcome of the process, such is the low level of trust in the institutions.

Posted by: K.O. Tuesday, 17 January 2012 4:23 PM[UAE] - Egypt

@John
I agree, Dubai police did a good job identifying (Sukkari) who killed Tamim. They showed footage of him buying a knife at a hypermarket, fingerprints in her apartment, and murder weapon dumped in a garbage bin outside, etc. This is very amature & unusual given his extensive experience as an officer in state security, and private hostage negotiator in Iraq etc.
As far as the accomplice (Moustafa) is concerned there is no direct evidence linking him except Sukkaris testimony.
Many in Egypt beleive that Moustafa was framed because of a feud with another tycoon politican (Ezz) who headed Mubaraks national Dem. Party.
This is propably why they will give Moustafa re-trial.
Is there any direct evidence linking Moustafa to the murder ? please share.

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