A Cairo court has set December 29, 2003 as the date for the hearing of Egyptian singer/actor Midhat Saleh to an appeal of a three-year prison term for writing bad checks, without having a bank balance, to Egyptian dancer Fifi Abdo. The dancer’s lawyer stated that Fifi wishes to make a settlement with Midhat regarding the recording company they had partnered in and is expecting to be paid back in the soonest time possible.
According to the London based daily, Al Hayat, Abdo had previously filed a complaint against Midhat for writing her checks for over half a million Egyptian pounds without having a balance as a payback for money she had loaned him early last year as an investment. The court sentenced Midhat to three years of prison for counterfeiting, but he had demanded a retrial of the case. The dancer announced that she is willing to make amends with Midhat but demands that her money is returned or the court order will be implemented.
Midhat told the court that he did not take the money from Abdo as a loan but instead it was an investment by her in his new recording studio. Midhat added that every investment has the possibility of loss or gain and that he should not be obliged to cover Fifi's losses.
Fifi had filed the complaint in June 2002 after Midhat refused to pay her back the money by ignoring all her attempts to contact him. Abdo had warned Midhat that she would take him to court if he did not return her money.
Midhat had filed a second complaint against Fifi for ruining his name and reputation by her false accusations. Midhat demanded three million Egyptian pounds in compensation from the dancer saying it is the least he deserves after are the lies she has been spreading about him to the public.
Midhat revealed in a private interview held at his lawyer's office that the incident has affected him and his family and even threatened their wellbeing. Midhat expressed that after the court's decision was made, tabloids rushed to the news and published his story everywhere affecting his career in the sense that people began canceling previously scheduled performances with him. He is beginning to go short on cash and does not yet know how to come out of this mess. –Albawaba.com
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
