Court hears 'recording of Tamim call'

CAIRO // Lawyers for the family of the murdered Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim yesterday played in court what they said was a recording of a telephone conversation between the victim and an employee of the Egyptian tycoon who is accused of ordering her murder. "Why is he threatening me? He's telling me that he wants to send me to prison for 10 years. Why?...God is my witness and will never accept this injustice," said a frantic Tamim in what is claimed to be a conversation with Abdel Khaleq, who worked for Hisham Talaat Moustafa.

Mr Moustafa, 49, a member of the country's ruling party, is charged with paying Mohsen el Sokari US$2 million (Dh7.3m) to kill Tamim after she called off their relationship. The singer, 31, was found murdered in her apartment at Jumeirah Beach Residences in Dubai, on July 28 last year. Her marital status came into question when Wael Bahgat, a lawyer representing the Iraqi-British boxer, Riyadh al Azzawi, who claims he married Tamim in London last year, submitted what he said was their wedding certificate. Adel Maatouq, Tamim's Lebanese ex-husband, appeared with three lawyers who insisted he was her widower. The trial was adjourned until today when the court will hear from the defence.

nmagd@thenational.ae