A co-defendant in US Senator Bob Menendez's Egypt bribery case on Friday pleaded guilty in a New York Federal court.
New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe pleaded guilty to seven counts including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services fraud and obstruction of justice. He has also agreed to co-operate with prosecutors in the case against Mr Menendez.
Uribe was accused of providing Mr Menendez and his wife with a Mercedes-Benz convertible in exchange for the US senator trying to disrupt a criminal investigation the businessman was facing.
Two other co-defendants in the case – Wael Hana and Fred Daibes – have pleaded not guilty. Mr Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, have also pleaded not guilty.
The couple were charged in September with engaging “in a corrupt relationship” with three New Jersey associates, including Egyptian-American Mr Hana.
In a separate court filing a month later, Mr Menendez was also charged with acting as an unregistered agent of Egypt.
Mr Hana and Ms Menendez have also been accused of working with Mr Menendez to aid the Egyptian government between January 2018 and June 2022.
In addition to allegedly accepting the Mercedes-Benz convertible, Mr Menendez is also accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars, including in gold bars.
Mr Menendez announced in October that he would be stepping down from the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which can withhold sending funds to foreign militaries.
He has so far defied calls to resign as US senator.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
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