Egypt court acquits founder of new Library of Alexandria

CAIRO – An Egyptian court has acquitted the founding director of the new Library of Alexandria, overturning a three-and-a-half year sentence on charges of squandering public funds.

The state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported the acquittal of Ismail Serrag el-Din on Tuesday.

Library employees had accused him of wasting 20 million Egyptian pounds (about $1.12 million) by paying hefty salaries to top advisers and privately travelling abroad at the library’s expense.

Scores of Egyptian former ministers, state officials and diplomats had expressed support for Serrag el-Din, including former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.

The new Library of Alexandria, officially known as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, was inaugurated in 2002. It is currently headed by Mostafa el-Feki.