The ongoing legal battle surrounding the famous director accused of stealing from Shalimar Sherbini, the wife of filmmaker Khaled Yousef, has drawn significant attention. Investigations and court proceedings have spanned over 12 hours, culminating in the postponement of the case until September 3, based on the defense’s request to prepare for the closing arguments.
The Full Story of the Director and Shalimar Sherbini
“Indeed, the command belongs to Allah, both before and after. My Lord, I am overwhelmed; grant me victory.” These were the first words spoken by the renowned director after spending ten hours in the Giza Misdemeanor Court, facing accusations of stealing jewelry from Shalimar Sherbini, the wife of cinematic director Khaled Yousef, as the court decided to extend his detention.
Since yesterday afternoon, the area around the South Giza Court transformed into a parking lot for luxury cars, as artists and directors arrived to support the accused during the first session of his trial.
Prominent figures such as actress Hala Sedky and media personalities Hala Sarhan and Basma Wahba appeared as witnesses to refute Shalimar’s accusations against the director.
Throughout the ten-hour session, several shocking revelations emerged as the court heard the testimony of the accused director, who expressed his astonishment at the unexpected accusation from Shalimar Sherbini, with whom he has had a friendship spanning over 20 years. He insisted he was known for his integrity and good character within the artistic community.
The director recounted a conversation with Khaled Yousef, who mentioned that numerous pieces of jewelry were missing from his wife. The director replied, “Your wife is careless; we all know that. If these items were in the Four Seasons apartment, it’s essentially a storage area, so they must be lost in the clutter. Look for them properly.”
He further explained, “I was surprised when Shalimar asked me to help search for the missing items. I refused at first, not understanding their insistence. I did go once with Shalimar and two of her staff, but there was one room I hadn’t checked. Khaled insisted on searching that room, and I didn’t understand why. He called me while I was praying on Friday, and after several calls, I went over in my prayer robe. I started looking in the closed room until I opened a closet and found a bag in front of me. When we opened it, it was filled with jewelry.”
The director added, “When Shalimar saw these items, they were not what she claimed were stolen. If I wanted to steal something, that bag was right in front of me, containing the watch of Queen Farida that Shalimar bought at an auction. Shalimar claimed I stole items worth 250 million Egyptian pounds. When I couldn’t sell them because they were expensive and rare, I returned items worth 200 million and kept jewelry valued at 50 million. I asked the judge, ‘Am I a fool to do such a thing, returning stolen items and exposing myself? I could have just thrown them in the Nile!’”
The director asserted, “Everyone knows that Shalimar Sherbini is involved with charlatans. She told me that a fortune-teller opened the tarot cards and said I was the one who stole from her. She wanted me to consult someone named Mabrouk to help us find her jewelry. Is this the basis for the accusations against me, leading to my imprisonment? I am a man with heart and diabetes issues, and I am being imprisoned because of a fortune-teller!”
As the trial progressed, surprises continued to unfold. Hala Sedky testified, confirming the director’s integrity and that he had been friends with Shalimar Sherbini and Khaled Yousef for over 20 years. Both she and Basma Wahba expressed their disbelief at Shalimar’s allegations.
In a shocking turn, Hala Sedky revealed that someone had seen a large quantity of jewelry in a furnished apartment rented by Khaled Yousef. When Shalimar learned of this, she called Hala and insulted her, believing she was the one spreading rumors. The renowned director was present during this testimony, and when Hala Sedky requested that he support her claim regarding Shalimar’s insults, he was astonished to hear Shalimar’s accusation of theft from her that had been reported missing for a year and a half.
The session concluded with the Giza Misdemeanor Court’s decision to postpone the trial until December 3, while maintaining the director’s detention and releasing a second suspect who worked in Shalimar Sherbini’s apartment. The postponement was requested by the defense to summon Shalimar Sherbini and prepare for the closing arguments.
