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France confirms arrest of former Egyptian Min. Yusuf Boutros Ghali

PARIS, April 15 (KUNA) -- The French Foreign Ministry on Tuesday confirmed that former Egyptian Finance Minister Yussef Boutros Ghali was arrested in Paris on Monday based on an Interpol warrant.
Boutros Ghali, who has been tried in absentia in Egypt and sentenced to 30 years in jail for corruption, was detained in Charles de Gaulle airport as he deplaned a flight from London. The Egyptian has also been sentenced separately to other jail terms and large fines for personal enrichment in Egypt.
"We confirm the arrest April 14 of Mr. Yussef Boutros Ghali on the basis of a demand from Interpol," Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said in a briefing.
Boutros Ghali, 61, was handed over to Interpol but his fate is still unclear and the French Foreign Ministry declined to answer questions relating to the judicial treatment of the case. France has an extradition treaty with Egypt and an Interpol warrant would also allow convicted felons to be sent home.
The detained Egyptian served as Finance Minister in 2004-11 and he is the nephew of former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali. (end) jk.bs