By Jelili Gbadamosi
An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa to death by hanging after finding her guilty alongside 11 others in a major synthetic drug trafficking case involving more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics.
The Cairo Criminal Court handed down the verdict in a case involving 28 defendants accused of belonging to an organised criminal group engaged in procuring materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs and distributing the finished products.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, nine of the defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven others were acquitted.
Khalifa, 39, became a prominent figure in the case because of her career as a television presenter. She was known for hosting Mission Impossible, a security and crime programme on Al-Mehwar TV.
Beyond broadcasting, Khalifa reportedly operated businesses including a cosmetic surgery clinic and an events company and had more than two million followers on Instagram.
Prosecutors alleged that the group sourced raw materials from abroad, stored them in residential properties and used the materials to manufacture and distribute synthetic narcotics.
The investigation also led to the recovery of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, according to reports cited in the case.
Khalifa consistently denied the allegations during the investigation, reportedly telling prosecutors that she had never even smoked a cigarette and maintaining that she was innocent.
During the court proceedings, the presenter reportedly broke down in tears while pleading for mercy. She argued that she had been properly raised by her parents and had no reason to turn to drug trafficking for money.
The death sentence remains subject to Egypt’s legal review and appeal process before it can be carried out.
