The Giza Criminal Court in Egypt issued a six-month prison sentence yesterday, Sunday, against the Egyptian festival singer, Essam Sasa, on charges of driving under the influence of drugs.
Sasa was arrested at Cairo Airport, where he faced charges of causing the death of an employee by running him over while driving under the influence of drugs. The court decided to end the case related to manslaughter after reaching a settlement with the victim’s family.
The security services detained Sasa upon his arrival at Cairo Airport, and he was transferred to the Giza Security Directorate to take the necessary legal measures.
Sasa’s lawyer, Mohamed Hamouda, explained during his pleading that his client did not intend to harm the victim, noting that the accident occurred as a result of the victim’s attempt to cross the road from a place other than the designated place for pedestrians, which led to the accident. Hamouda confirmed that his client immediately got out of his car and tried to provide assistance to the victim and did not flee the scene of the accident.
Sasa was temporarily released after testing positive for drugs but was arrested and brought back after it was confirmed that he had used drugs, which led to an order to place his name on the watch lists.
The defense cited similar cases and challenged the credibility of the drug test, arguing that the results could show up positive for drugs in many cases for reasons unrelated to actual hashish use.
This ruling comes at a time when media attention is increasingly focused on drug use cases among celebrities in Egypt, and the incident once again highlights the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and the devastating impact this behavior can have on lives and society.
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