Muhsen el-Sukkari, a security guard, tricked 30-year old Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim into opening her apartment door. She readily trusted him, unknowing that he was only posing as a representative of the building’s owners. He then proceeded to stab her to death. For the gruesome crime, the security guard was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. The killing was all planned, apparently, as the court decided.

A rich Egyptian businessman, former chairman of the Talaat Moustafa Group, and politician by the name of Hisham Talaat Moustafa was also found guilty of the murder. It was discovered that he paid the security guard to stab Tamim. It must have been a very important kill to do as he actually shelled out $2 million to el-Sukkari to kill her.

The court accused Moustafa of his participation in the murder ‘through incitement, agreement and assistance.’ He was likewise sentenced to death by hanging.

Now comes the tale behind the story. Tamim married Riyad al-Azzawi, an Iraqi kick-boxing champion, but a few months before the murder, she ended a three-year affair with Moustafa.

This murder case has become the biggest and most media-covered court case in Egypt over the last decade. The sensationalized story has caused shares in Talaat Moustafa to plummet, with the rumor that shareholders will begin selling-off their shares.

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Via Al Jazeera