HISHAM TALAAT MUSTAFA, AN EGYPTIAN-BILLIONAIRE MURDERER!

He is an Egyptian billionaire real estate tycoon! He ordered a hit on his former paramour, a Lebanese pop singer! He was tried and convicted for her murder! His sentence, DEATH! The verdict is however subject to an immediate review by the religious Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, who is expected to act by June 25, 2009. Icheoku says, for prosecuting this case to a logical conclusion, the Egyptian judiciary has proved itself to be above board and as not having a price-tag? Worthy of particular mention is the judge of the Bab Al-Khalq criminal court who rendered the verdict, Judge Mohamed El-Qenesowa, pictured here left.

In many other countries of the world, his money, influence and political connections would have purchased him extra legs to walk away from justice, a free man; assuming he is even prosecuted! In Nigeria for example, so many people have been murdered and in some cases by known high and powerful people; yet nobody has ever been held accountable for these crimes?

A member of the National Democratic Party which has held a vice-like grip on power in Egypt since the 1970s, Convict Hisham Talaat Mustafa, 50, was a member of parliament of the Egyptian upper house, the Shura? Mustafa, pictured here right, is reputed to be one one of Egypt's richest men, and as member of the Egyptian elite high and powerful, had ties to the son of Egyptian president, Gamal Mubarak? It was however, before the verdict, being speculated that but for the insistence of the authorities in Dubai-United Arab Emirates, that he be prosecuted for the murder that the murder charge would have been squashed because of the convict's connections. Whether the president will pull some strings or use his executive powers to commute or suspend the sentence will be determined in due course; but President Hosni Mubarak should know that the whole world is watching and waiting for justice to take its course in this case; and he must not constitute himself a clog in its wheels. Kudos to the Egyptian judge, who courageously rendered this verdict without fear or intimidation of the high and powerful?

Mustafa was found guilty of murder for hire:- he had paid £1.3 million ($2 million) to a hotel security guard and former policeman, Mohsen el-Sukkari, to kill the Lebanese star Suzanne Tamin, 31. Miss Tamin, pictured left, rose to fame in the Arab world, in 1996, after winning an Egyptian Pop Idol show, - the Studio al Fan talent show. Mustafa was caught talking about the killing on "state security eavesdropping tapes." Icheoku says this is one example where warrant-less wire-taping worked for some positive results? The question remains, were it in America, would such evidence withstand judicial test of muster - the legality of how it was obtained? This is akin to a case of beauty and the beast, and now the beauty have ended up in the belly of the beast; who shall in due course hang for his crimes against a beauty queen impresario? An eye for an eye, may be?

Miss Tamin, the victim was found severally stabbed with her throat slit in her high rise luxury Dubai-United Arab Emirate apartment in July 28, 2009. The twice-divorced Miss Tamin was having an affair with Mustafa, a married real estate entrepreneur? When she ended the relationship, she moved to London where she met and married her third husband, an Iraqi-born world kick-boxing champion, Riyadh Alazzawi? Mr Alazzawi alleged that he had received threats from Moustafa demanding he give her Tamin or be killed; also that Moustafa had offered Tamin $50 million to leave him, Alazzawi?

The knife-welding assailant, El-Sukkari, worked as head of security at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt which Moustafa built; and had travelled to Dubai last July to carry out the dastardly murder. His DNA was found on clothes inside the victim's apartment and he was captured entering the Dubai apartment complex on the day of the murder by an on-site security camera? The murder-weapon, a knife allegedly used in the killing was also recovered. There was also a footprint found on the crime-scene which matched a shoe recently bought using al-Sukkari's credit card? Eavesdropped telephone conversations between El-Sukkari and Mustafa, wherein Mustafa was telling El-Sukkari, pictured bottom right, to throw his former lover off her balcony was tendered in evidence and supplied whatever missing link left of their culpability? The case which commenced on october 18, 2008, arrived at a decision seven months later!

His lawyer, Samir al-Shishtawi, called the ruling "severe" and said he expected it would be overturned on appeal? Icheoku says, what a consolatory statement made by an over-priced lawyer, trying to pallicate his unsatisfied, convicted client! It is only corruption on a grand scale that could change the verdict of death, based on overwhelming evidence of the prosecution.

Whatever the review, Icheoku says with the adduced mountain of evidence, the only rational outcome of such a review that is possible, is to affirm the verdict and order the immediate carrying out of the sentence forthwith! There was a murder victim; the murderer has confessed; the murder-weapon was recovered; the security camera's captured image of the killer is riveting; the shoe foot-print; and the mother of all evidence - the telephone conversation admission! Conclusion, affirm and execute the sentence as any other "strange" decision will be interpreted for what it is, procured!