Egypt's top prosecutor on Tuesday referred to trial two Egyptians, including a woman, on charges of "spying for Israel," judicial sources said.
The general prosecutor also ordered the arrest of two Israeli officers working for Mossad, Israel's national spy agency, who are currently at large and will be tried in absentia if not captured.
The two Egyptians are accused of providing the Israeli agents with internal information about Egypt in order to undermine the country's national interests, a statement from the public prosecutor's office said.
According to the statement, the male Egyptian defendant sought out the Mossad agents in hopes that they would pay him large sums for his cooperation. He then recruited the second defendant, a female journalist, to help gather information concerning Egypt's popular revolt, current affairs and army. The information was sent to the Israeli agents with high-tech equipment.
Prosecutors allege that the first defendant received money adding up to 90,000 euros (LE860,000) as well as gifts from the Mossad agents during meetings held in European countries.
Both Egyptian defendants admitted to interrogators that they had spied for Israel and revealed information to Mossad.
Earlier in February, five alleged Mossad officers and three Egyptians from the north Sinai border town of Rafah, near the Israeli border, were ordered to stand trial in absentia on charges of espionage and supplying Israel with information that impacted Egypt's national security.
In October 2011, Israel freed 25 Egyptians in exchange for the release of a US-Israeli, Ilan Grapel, who had been detained in Cairo for four months on spying charges.
