Egyptian businessman and former politician Rami Lakah, who left for Europe in 2001, returned to Cairo on Thursday after agreeing to settle debts owed to banks, state newspapers said on Friday.
Lakah arrived at Cairo's airport to "a display of drumming and ululation," the state-owned al-Ahram reported.
I cannot describe my happiness at my return. It came very late, but thank God I am now in my country and among my people
Lakah, chairman of industrial and healthcare conglomerate Holding Company for Financial Investments (Lakah Group), fled Egypt after accumulating debts estimated by various state media to have been between 1.2-2 billion pounds.
The public prosecutor dropped a court case filed against Lakah and his brother Michel after the pair reached a settlement with creditor banks, state media reported this week.
"I cannot describe my happiness at my return. It came very late, but thank God I am now in my country and among my people," Lakah said upon arriving in Cairo, adding he would run in Egypt's next parliamentary elections.
Lakah won a seat in the Egyptian parliament in 2000, but left after his debt problems piled up.
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