Legal reconciliation to be reached soon with 10 persons involved in illicit gains

Justice Minister Ahmed el Zend said reconciliation with ten persons subjected to the illicit gains law will be completed and announced soon.

The ten persons, who will pay to the state its dues in return for the legal reconciliation, include fugitive businessman Hussein Salem, the justice minister said in a TV interview with talk show presenter Ahmed Moussa on "Sada El Balad".

They are expected to pay to the state treasury more than ten billion pounds, he said, expecting others to follow their suit.

The state has been keen to issue laws regulating the media and the press to establish a supreme council for the media, a national authority for the press and a national authority for the media, he said.

Work is underway to establish the supreme council of the media to submit all relevant laws to it for advice, and after that laws will be issued for establishing the two other authorities, Zend said.

Turning to the death sentences issued against terror defendants, including Muslim Brotherhood leaders and members, Zend said they will be carried out when all litigation phases are completed and the rulings become irrevocable and non-challengeable.

He said the terror operations in Sinai are linked with the Muslim Brotherhood group, adding that what proves him right is the statements MB leader Mohamed el Beltagy have given after the June 30 revolution that Sinai terror attacks will cease when president Mohamed Morsi returns to power.

The justice minister said that he decided to give priority to families of army, police and civilian martyrs in job opportunities at the ministry.

He rejected calls to strip off the Egyptian citizenship of terror members, saying that the right thing to do is to leave their citizenship so Egypt continues to have the right to extradite fugitive ones and try them.

Zend confuted news circulated by the MB group that judges receive a "pride" bonus, saying they are just lies propagated by the group against judges and honest national figures.

Source: MENA