Mubarak Business Associate Extradited From Spain

Spain has agreed to Egypt's request to extradite Hussein Salem, business tycoon and close associate of former President Hosni Mubarak; and his son Khaled.

The Spanish court added two conditions to the extradition: other juries besides those trying the two in absentia should hear the cases and the two individuals had the right to return to Spain to serve out their sentence.

On Thursday, the Egyptian Giza Criminal Court charged Salem with a 15-year sentence for illegally buying public land in Luxor from former Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Obeid and his deputy.

Salem was arrested in Spain last June and has since been held in custody under suspicions of money laundering and corruption.

Upon his arrest, investigators proceeded to freeze Salem's accounts with a value of about $47 million. The police also reportedly seized several homes worth about $14 million.

Salem has also been charged in other cases. He is supposed to serve a 7-year sentence in connection with a natural gas deal with Israel whereby Salem allegedly stole about $714 million.

Salem is also involved in a real estate corruption case. The charges claim that Salem gave Mubarak and his sons five villas worth $7 million in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. In return, the former Egyptian President made sure that Salem could purchase real estate for an undervalued price and build a resort in the town.

Salem escaped Egypt's protests when he fled the country in February of last year, a week before Mubarak's forced resignation.