Alexandria Priest Murderer Trial Begins, AP Reports

The trial of the Alexandria Priest, Arsanious Wadid murderer started yesterday, at the Alexandria Court, the Associated Press reported on Saturday.

The criminal Nehru Tawfiq was present at the location of the trial from the beginning of its first session where he denied the accusations.

In addition, Defense lawyers pronounced that the attack of Tawfiq against the Coptic Priest was not a “deliberate” incident.

On the other hand, the head of the trial Wahid Sabry questioned some of the incident's witnesses and one of them highlighted that the arrested person who killed the Coptic man had a religious motive, and he also threatened passersby who tried to interfere

Also, the witnesses had identified the arrested suspect as the attacker of the Coptic man.

Early April, Hamada El-Sawy, the Public Prosecutor ordered swift investigations into the murder of Archpriest Arsanious Wadid, 56, the priest of the Church of the Virgin Mary in Muharram Bey, Alexandria.

The Public Prosecution received a notification that a man with a knife stabbed a priest, while he was walking on the Corniche.

Following the assault, the victim was transferred to the hospital, where he died from injuries, and by referring the matter to the Public Prosecutor, he ordered an urgent investigation into the incident.

The prosecution's office immediately proceeded to examine the body, and found the injuries, and delegated the doctors to sign a medical examination on it, stating the injuries and the cause of death. It also inspected the scene of the incident, and assigned the police to conduct urgent investigations into the incident.

The accused was brought before the Public Prosecution for questioning – after the walking-by citizens stopped him and seized the weapon he used, until the police forces arrived.

Meantime, witnesses to the incident are being questioned to continue with the investigations.