A New Jersey businessman and Egyptian national accused of bribing US Senator Robert Menendez was arrested at JFK Airport on Tuesday when he returned to the country for an arraignment hearing.
The New York Times reported that 40-year-old Wael Hana pleaded not guilty to bribery charges in federal court where he was already slated to appear. He was recently indicted as a co-defendant alongside the Senator.
Hana was released by a judge on a $5 million personal recognizance bond. It came with some strict conditions, including the handing over of his passport and the wearing of a GPS device.
Prosecutors allege that Hana brokered meetings in 2018 between Egyptian officials and Menendez, the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Menendez was indicted, along with his wife Nadine, on corruption-related charges for allegedly using his position to aid the Egyptian regime and to pressure federal prosecutors to stop pursuing a case against a friend of his.
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