Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly was sent to three years of rigorous imprisonment by Giza Criminal Court on Saturday in the so-called “forced labor” case.

Major General Hassan Abdel Hamid, Adly’s first assistant, also received a three year sentence, while Mohamed Bassem Lotfy, the commander of his guards, was sentenced to one year in prison. The three defendants were also ordered to pay a LE2.5 million fine.

The court had charged them of profiteering and wasting public money by forcing security recruits to work for them privately.

According to the Public Prosecution's investigations, Adly had forced around 150 recruits to work on his two farms and a third farm belonging to Lotfy for three years. The recruits also built two villas with swimming pools for Adly in 6th of October City and a third one for Lotfy.

The Public Prosecution had asked the court for the maximum sentence for all the  the court to send the defendants to the maximum penalty.

Prosecutor Elias Imam addressed the defendants during the hearing with the famous statement of historical figure Ahmed Orabi, asking, “How can you enslave people when their mothers bore them free?"

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm