Mubarak-era Egyptian officials acquitted of corruption

Two prominent Mubarak-era officials, former Egyptian prime minister Ahmed Nazif and former interior minister Habib El-Adly, were acquitted Tuesday of corruption charges in relation to a contract to supply government cars with licence plates.

The two men were being retried by a Cairo court after a successful appeal against previous verdicts in the case, state-run Al Ahram online reported.

In the original verdict, Nazif had received a one-year suspended sentence and El-Adly received five years in prison.

They were accused in April 2011 of awarding a contract for the manufacture of licence plates to a German firm without conducting an open tender as stipulated by law.

Former president Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for almost 30 years until he was toppled in the popular 2011 revolution.

El-Adly served as Mubarak's interior minister from 1997 to 2011. He was widely criticised for violating human rights during his tenure.

Meanwhile, Nazif acted as prime minister under Mubarak from 2004 to 2011. He was criticised by many for appointing numerous business leaders to ministerial positions.

Mubarak fired both men in the wake of the Jan 25 revolution in a last-minute attempt to appease protesters.

Mubarak, his two sons and many key officials associated with his ruling party have been recently acquitted of charges of murder and corruption or released due to pre-trial detention limits.

El-Adly faces trial on separate corruption charges.

It is not yet clear whether the court would release him following Tuesday's verdict.

El-Adly was acquitted in November 2014 along with six of his aides and Mubarak of killing protesters in the 2011 revolution.

Nazif faces no other charges.