Retrial of Ezz in iron licenses case adjourned till May 9

The Cairo Criminal Court Sunday postponed until May 9 the retrial of Egyptian steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz and former Chairman of the Industrial Development Authority Amr Assal on iron licenses violations.

Ezz, Assal and former trade and industry minister Rashid Mohamed Rashid are standing retrial together in connection with the case known in the media as that of 'steel licenses'.

Rashid and Assal are accused of granting, in violation of the law, two free-of-charge licenses to Ezz for manufacturing iron.

The decision was taken to continue listening to the defendants' lawyers. 

Also, they gave Ezz the okay to build two factories in the Suez Free Trade Zone in a flagrant breach of the law, which stipulates that no investor is granted more than one license, inflicting losses on the public exchequer hitting EGP 660 million.

In September 2011, the Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Ezz and Assal to ten years in jail and Rashid in absentia to 15 years in connection with this case. 

The Cassation Court ordered in December 2012 the retrial of them before another judicial district of the Cairo Criminal Court after they appealed the rulings.

Ezz has been released from custody by a court ruling on August 5, 2014 pending the retrial