An Egyptian real estate mogul and a former police officer pleaded not guilty Saturday to the murder of a rising Lebanese pop singer who was found slain in July in her United Arab Emirates apartment, reported CNN.
Prosecutors allege that Hisham Talaat Moustafa, a parliament member for the ruling National Democratic Party, paid Muhsen el Sukkari $2 million to kill Suzanne Tamim. Both have denied the charges.
Tamim, a 30-year-old Lebanese pop star, was found stabbed and with her throat slit in her Dubai apartment in July. Moustafa's lawyer told CNN his client loved the singer, but could not take Tamim as a second wife because his family objected. Polygamy is legal in Egypt, and it not unusual for men - such as Moustafa, a married father of three - to take on additional wives.