End Of The Rope For Tycoon In Pop Diva Murder
CAIRO (CBS/AP) An Egyptian court has ratified the death sentence of an Egyptian real estate mogul and his associate, convicted in the killing of Lebanese pop star Suzanne Tamim. Tamim shot to fame in an "American Idol"-style TV show, a green-eyed beauty whose pop songs about love's agony mirrored her troubled life.
Billionaire Hisham Talaat Moustafa - a married, politically powerful tycoon - has been sentenced to hang for paying a former government security agent $2 million to commit the vicious slaying, by slitting Tamim's throat when she was in Dubai. Authorities say Moustafa and Tamim were lovers.
Many had wondered if the 50-year-old mogul tied to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's son, Gamal, and an influential member of the ruling party, would get away with murder in a region where the rich are often thought to be above the law.
In death penalty cases in Egypt the judge must seek the opinion of the grand mufti, the country's highest religious authority. However, the grand mufti's opinion is not legally binding.
After consulting with Egypt's grand mufti, the judge Thursday ratified the verdict that he issued last month.
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May 22, 2009 - Egyptian Tycoon Will Hang For Pop Diva Murder