An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced footballer Ramadan Sobhy to one year in prison with hard labor after convicting him in a forgery case involving official documents, while issuing varied rulings against three other defendants.
The Giza Criminal Court, sitting at Shubra El-Kheima Court Complex, ruled to jail Sobhi and a second defendant, who was accused of sitting an exam on Sobhi’s behalf, for one year.
The court acquitted the third defendant, while sentencing a fourth defendant, who remains at large, to 10 years in prison.
The verdict was delivered by a panel headed by Judge Taha Ibrahim Abdel Azim, with Judges Abdel Salam Suleiman Al-Delgawy, Ahmed Mohamed Yousry, and Abdel Hamid Mohamed Salah El-Din.
Several footballers, including Mohamed Reda “Bobo,” Sherif Ekramy, and Ali Gabr of Pyramids FC, attended the hearing in support of Sobhy.
The case dates back to May, when authorities discovered an individual attempting to take an examination on behalf of Ramadan Sobhi at a tourism and hotels institute in Abu El-Nomros, Giza Governorate.
According to investigations, the substitute test-taker admitted receiving financial compensation in exchange for impersonating the player during the exam.
Prosecutors charged Sobhy and the other defendants with forging official documents.
During trial sessions, the defense argued the absence of criminal intent and the lack of legal elements constituting the crime. The defendants denied the charges when confronted by the court.
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