Egyptian PM gets one-year jail

Cairo, April 17 (IANS) An Egyptian court Wednesday sentenced Prime Minister Hesham Qandil, in absentia, to a jail term of one year over failing to enforce a judicial verdict to nationalise the Tanta Flax company, Xinhua reported.

State-run Al-Ahram online said Egypt's Misdemeanour Dokki Court also ordered the removal of Qandil from his post, and imposed a fine of 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($290).

However, according the law, the rulings issued in absentia against serving state officials are primarily considered as merely symbolic, since the officials can pay the fine and challenge the ruling.