Mubarak Era Tycoon to Be Retried for Lebanese Diva's Murder

Egyptian tycoon Hisham Talaat Moustafa, who was jailed in 2010 for the murder of a Lebanese pop singer, will be retried next month as sought by prosecutors who complained his 15-year sentence was too lenient, a court said Monday.

The Supreme Egyptian Criminal Court decided that it would begin the new trial of Moustafa for the murder of singer and former lover Suzanne Tamim from February 6, an Agence Frnce Presse correspondent reported.

In May 2009, Moustafa, an associate of ousted president Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal who also sat on the policies committee of the former ruling National Democratic Party, was sentenced to death.

A year later an appeals court overturned the conviction on procedural grounds and ordered a retrial. In September 2010, Moustafa was sentenced to 15 years in jail.

But in November that year the prosecution complained the sentence was "too lenient" and demanded Moustafa be tried again.

Also to be retried in the case is Mohsen al-Sukkari, an associate of Moustafa who was sentenced to 25 years for the murder of Tamim, who was killed in July 2008 at her Dubai apartment.

At the first trial, Moustafa was accused of having paid Sukkari, a former policeman, two million dollars (1.5 million euros) to cut Tamim's throat.

The death sentence shocked Egypt, particularly since it targeted a prominent businessman who was close to Gamal Mubarak, who had been expected to succeed his father before the regime was toppled in an uprising last year.

Hosni Mubarak is now himself on trial for corruption with his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, and separately for the killings of hundreds of protesters who took part in demonstrations against his regime.

The veteran leader's trial, which started in August, resumes on Tuesday when the defense team is due to make its case.