Mohamed Waziri accused of embezzling large sums belonging to Haifa Wehbe Mohamed Waziri’s lawyers: the accusations lack a complete legal basis

Cairo’s Economic Court of First Instance witnessed a notable development on Tuesday in the case involving Mohamed Waziri, the former business manager of Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe. The court decided to reserve the case for judgment on June 17, while also ordering Waziri’s release on the guarantee of his place of residence.

During the hearing, Mohamed Waziri personally appeared before the court alongside his defense team to face charges of money laundering allegedly linked to earlier incidents of embezzlement and fraud. His lawyers strongly denied the accusations, arguing that the case files contain no material evidence proving the crime and that the charges lack a fully established legal foundation.

“Absence of the original crime” The defense also insisted on suspending the proceedings until a ruling is issued on an appeal against a previous prison sentence in the “embezzlement” case, arguing that continuing to enforce that judgment raises a legal issue regarding the absence of a primary crime on which the money laundering charges are based, and therefore the lack of a valid foundation for the current case.

After the session ended, Mohamed Waziri posted a message on Instagram expressing relief, saying: “Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds… released without bail… and the case has been reserved for judgment on 17/6… I hope for acquittal, please pray for me.” This was his first public appearance in a while, reflecting his optimism about closing the long-running legal dispute with Haifa Wehbe.

Accusations of embezzling large sums The case dates back to official complaints filed by attorney Sherif Hafez, Haifa Wehbe’s lawyer, accusing Waziri of embezzling large sums from her bank accounts and transferring them to his personal account, relying on a power of attorney granting him authority over her financial affairs. The court had previously sentenced him to two years in prison in a “misappropriation” case involving around 4 million dollars.

As part of the investigation, the Economic Prosecution relied on reports from Ministry of Justice experts, who examined the defendant’s assets and traced the sources of his wealth to determine funds suspected of being unlawfully obtained, especially after earlier statements indicating he had collected financial entitlements belonging to the artist from TV channels and concert organizers.

Based on the investigation, he was charged with money laundering, amid suspicions that he attempted to legitimize those funds through transfers and investment activities.

The upcoming June 17 session is expected to mark the final ruling in the case, amid wide anticipation in legal and media circles, as it remains one of the most high-profile cases that has occupied public attention in the artistic community in recent years.