CAIRO, Jun 11 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's Court of Cassation turned down on Thursday a challenge to the acquittal of a former tourism minister who served under toppled president Hosni Mubarak of graft.

The court upheld former minister Zuhair Garana's acquittal in the case where he was charged with profiteering and facilitating the confiscation of public funds.

The Giza Criminal Court had acquitted in March 2013 Garana of the charge of facilitating the illegal transfer of five million square metres of land near Suez to Emirati businessman Hisham Hatheq.

Garana served as minister of tourism from 2006 and until Mubarak sacked the cabinet in January 2011 in response to nationwide protests which erupted against his rule.