Court of Appeal Increases Sentences for Defendants in the 'Commercial Checks' Case: 15 Years in Prison for a Ministry of Commerce Official, 10 Years for 17 Defendants, and 4 Years for 4
The Court of Appeal has issued its verdict in the case involving 73 defendants accused of organized manipulation of commercial draws conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry between 2021 and 2025.
The court ordered harsher penalties, sentencing the first defendant, an employee of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to 15 years in prison and a fine of 3 million dinars, replacing the previous sentence handed down by the Criminal Court, which had imposed a 10-year term.
The court also sentenced the Egyptian female defendant, her husband, and 15 other defendants to 10 years in prison and a fine of 3 million dinars. Four defendants were sentenced to four years in prison, 38 defendants were exempted from punishment, and 12 others were acquitted.
The Public Prosecution referred the defendants to the Criminal Court last October following the completion of its investigations, charging them with bribery, forgery of official and electronic documents, and money laundering.
The Public Prosecution had confirmed that the defendants formed an organized network that manipulated 110 commercial draws worth over 1.2 million dinars, noting that it had frozen assets and properties valued at over 1 million dinars as part of efforts to recover illicit proceeds.
In the reasoning behind its verdict, the court stated that the first defendant did not commit an isolated incident or an occasional violation, but rather a series of interconnected crimes involving bribery, forgery of official documents, and forgery in an official electronic system belonging to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in addition to the crime of money laundering committed within the framework of an organized criminal group.
The court clarified that the defendant held the position of Head of the Free Offers Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, a role responsible for ensuring the integrity of commercial draws, the correctness of procedures, and equality among participants. However, he exploited his official authority to secure personal benefits, illicit gains, and to harm the public interest.
The court further noted that the first defendant received bribes totaling 282,000 dinars, confirming that the criminal activity was not the result of a fleeting incident but was organized and stable, aimed at achieving illicit profits. The defendant prepared and approved 110 official reports containing data and facts contrary to reality, demonstrating that the criminal activity extended to a large number of draws and prizes over a prolonged period.
The court emphasized in its reasoning that the defendant’s role was not limited to forging official documents but extended to tampering with the official electronic system used by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for conducting commercial draws. This involved entering incorrect data and pre-selecting specific names to guarantee their winning of prizes. The court noted that the defendant’s actions undermined public confidence in the integrity of commercial draws and damaged the reputation of the ministry and the authority of state institutions. He was the main driver of the criminal plot and played a fundamental role in determining the winners’ names and enabling other defendants to obtain the prizes and vehicles that were the subject of the crime.
The court added that the money laundering crime would not have been realized but for the first defendant’s exploitation of his position and manipulation of the draw results, as he was the source of the illicit funds.
