Egyptian officials sentenced over Israel gas deal

Egypt’s former Oil Minister Samih Fahmi and a fugitive businessman, Hussein Salem, have been sentenced to 15 years in prison for their role in a gas export deal to Israel.

Ten other former high-ranking oil and gas officials also reportedly received shorter jail sentences. The agreement, which supplied Israel with 40% of its natural gas at below market prices, was scrapped in April. It was backed by the old government, but was widely unpopular in Egypt. Since former President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down in February 2011, the pipeline delivering gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan has been bombed at least 14 times, reducing supplies significantly.