Khaberni - The Cairo Economic Court has set April 14th as the date for the first hearing of the trial of Mohamed Waziri, the former business manager of artist Haifa Wehbe, accused of money laundering.
The details of the case go back to a prior complaint filed by artist Haifa Wehbe, in which she accused her former business manager Mohamed Waziri of misappropriating her funds and withdrawing them from her bank accounts, then depositing them in his own account taking advantage of the power of attorney issued to him.
The investigations revealed suspicions of money laundering related to the incidents under accusation, and clarified that the defendant had made several consecutive financial transfers within the banking system, involving large sums in Egyptian pounds and dollars, exceeding the value of 9 million Egyptian pounds and 800,000 dollars, in an attempt to conceal the source of the funds and remove any suspicions about him, by displaying them in the form of transactions that appear legal.
Luxury properties and cars
It also turned out that the defendant used various means to hide the money, including merging bank transfers and cash amounts, which makes it difficult to trace their real source, in addition to using them to purchase assets and properties, where he bought part of the money properties, administrative units, and luxury cars, while some of these properties were registered in the names of people close to him, headed by his brother, in an attempt to hide the actual owner of these assets.
The investigation confirmed that the accused had established a number of commercial companies and used them as a front to channel the money into activities that appear legitimate, which the investigative authorities considered one of the methods used in money laundering crimes.
Embezzlement and fraud.. and imprisonment
In 2020, the case of artist Haifa Wehbe occupied the public opinion, where she filed official complaints accusing her business manager Mohamed Waziri of embezzling millions from her funds. This case not only attracted attention due to the large amount involved but also revealed the complexity of professional relationships that could turn in a moment into a sharp legal conflict between the two parties.
The incident had been previously registered as a misdemeanor case, and a verdict was issued sentencing the defendant to three years in prison for embezzlement and fraud, based on the appropriation of about 4 million dollars from the funds of artist Haifa Wehbe, where she wrote through her official social media accounts: "This is one case among a group of other cases we are awaiting verdicts for.. and victory comes only from Allah, and all praise is to Allah."
Meanwhile, Waziri claimed that he was married to the Lebanese star, which the latter denied and accused him of several accusations, still under deliberation before the Egyptian courts.
