Egyptian former minister who was during former President Hosni Mubarak’s era was on Tuesday referred to a criminal court on charges of corruption.

Egyptian former minister who was during former President Hosni Mubarak’s era was on Tuesday referred to a criminal court on charges of corruption.

Deputy Justice Minister for illicit gains Assem al-Gohari said that Farouk Hosni who served as culture minister under Mubarak for more than two decades, is accused of having illegally acquired 18 million Egyptian pounds (nearly $3 million).

State media quoted a judicial source as saying that Hosni had illegally acquired nine million Egyptian pounds and is being asked to return them as well as pay a nine million Egyptian pound fine.

The former minister had so far escaped the wide net cast by authorities after Mubarak's overthrow in 2011 that saw dozens of ex-ministers and businessmen associated with the old regime behind bars on corruption charges.
Gohari's decision comes after a long investigation during which Hosni "could not provide legitimate sources for the wealth he accrued," the official MENA news agency said.

Hosni was last year placed on a travel ban, along with a host of officials, shortly after the uprising that brought Mubarak's regime down but the ban was later lifted.