Cairo: Egyptian police on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of killing Nevine Loutfy, the chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) Egypt.
The arrest was made a day after Loutfy, a leading Egyptian banker, was found slain inside her villa in a compound in the Cairo suburb 6th of October City.
The suspect was identified as Karim Saber, an ex-security guard in the compound, according to the Interior Ministry.
He was sacked from his job due to misconduct and drug addiction. He was previously charged in 10 cases related to thefts, drugs and illegal possession of arms, the ministry said.
After arrest, the suspect confessed to having sneaked into Loutfy’s villa by smashing the kitchen window with the intention of stealing. When the victim became aware of his presence, she resisted him, but he inflicted fatal multiple stabs on her, the ministry added in a statement.
The suspect made off with Loutfy’s iPad, 600 dollars and other personal belongings.
He also drove the victim’s car, but abandoned it later after a crash outside the compound.
The suspect led the police to the stolen items, which he had hidden in his sister’s house.
He had earlier checked himself in a drug addiction-treating clinic in an attempt to mislead the police, the ministry said.
Loutfy, 64, was living alone since her two sons left to work outside Egypt, her neighbours said.
Having obtained a degree in economics from the American University in Cairo, Loutfy started her banking career in 1976, joining Citibank in Egypt as a financial analyst.
She has since gained extensive experience in the US, Europe and emerging markets.
In 2008, she became the managing director and CEO of ADIB Egypt. She led the bank’s transformation into a fully Islamic Sharia compliant and a modern customer-orientated financial institution.
