RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian Authority court on Wednesday sentenced in absentia the former director of Palestine Airlines to seven years hard labor on corruption charges.

The former official, who was identified as A.A., is now based in Cairo.

He was found guilty of embezzlement and ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 shekels ($26,840) and to repay 227,468 Egyptian pounds ($34,020) in embezzled funds.