Egypt court upholds to unfreeze assets of popular ex-footballer

CAIRO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Higher Administrative Court upheld on Saturday a previous ruling to unfreeze the assets of a retired popular soccer player over his link with the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

The court ordered suspension of the government's appeal against unfreezing Mohamed Abou Trika's assets until the Higher Constitutional Court finalizes the conflict of jurisdiction.

Abou Trika, a former footballer of Egypt's top soccer team Al-Ahly, was accused of co-founding As-hab Tours travel company with a Brotherhood member.

The blacklisted Brotherhood is the group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was removed by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

A committee for running and seizing the funds of the Brotherhood group said Abou Trika's tour company financed terrorist attacks in Egypt following Morsi's removal.

It ordered freezing Abou Trika's assets in May 2015, but the ex-player appealed and an administrative court ordered nullification of his asset seizure later in June 2016.

The State Lawsuits Authority, a judicial body representing the government, appealed against to unfreeze Abou Trika's assets, but Saturday's verdict by the Higher Administrative Court suspends the government's appeal.

As a renowned player, Abou Trika led Al-Ahly club and the Egyptian national team to several local and regional championships and he was named the best African soccer player inside the continent in 2008.

He is believed to have rejected the violent security dispersal of two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo and nearby Giza in August 2013, which left hundreds dead and thousands arrested.

Since Morsi's removal, terrorism killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers, as well as civilians, with a Sinai-based group loyal to the Islamic State regional terrorist group claiming responsibility for most of the attacks.

The Egyptian army and police killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested thousands of suspects in the country's anti-terrorist moves following Morsi's ouster. Enditem