Court adjourns former top auditor Hesham Geneina’s appeal to December 20

Although a final verdict was expected Tuesday in an appeal filed by former head auditor Hesham Geneina against his dismissal, the case was adjourned to the end of December to give a new panel of judges time to examine the evidence.

Geneina told reporters the court’s decision to delay the hearing is necessary in order to ensure a fair trial, adding that his defense team will be ready for another round of hearings from December 20, and echoing his previous expressions of faith in Egypt's judicial system.

“I have great hope in the judges of the State Council, who have always sided with constitutional and legal legitimacy, that they will continue to adhere to this principle. There is nothing more violating to this legitimacy than the decision that is being appealed. I really hope they can end the injustice against me,” Geneina told Mada Masr previously.

In July, a Cairo court sentenced Geneina to one year in prison and a LE20,000 fine for spreading false news. The case dates back to an interview with Geneina published by the privately owned Youm7 newspaper, in which he allegedly said Egypt’s corruption amounted to LE600 billion, according to a study by the Central Auditing Agency. Geneina appealed the verdict and the case was adjourned to November 3.

According to the former chief auditor, his defense team only managed to obtain a copy of the verdict on Monday. “We hope there will be a correction to the grave legal mistakes in the first ruling, he said, adding, “It violated my right to a fair trial.”