CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- An Egyptian real estate mogul and a former police officer pleaded not guilty Saturday to the murder of a rising Lebanese pop singer who was found slain in her United Arab Emirates apartment.





Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim was found slain in her apartment in Dubai in July.





Prosecutors allege that Hisham Talaat Moustafa, a Parliament member for the ruling National Democratic Party, paid Muhsen el Sukkari $2 million to kill Suzanne Tamim.





Both have denied the charges.





Tamim, 30, was found in her Dubai apartment in July with her throat slit.





Moustafa's lawyer told CNN his client loved the singer, but could not take Tamim as a second wife because his family objected.





Polygamy is legal in Egypt, and it not unusual for men -- such as Moustafa, a married father of three -- to take on additional wives.





The prosecutors say the murder was a "means of taking revenge" but have not elaborated.  Watch report on murder trial »





"It did not happen and I have presented all the evidence that I am not guilty," Moustafa said in the courtroom Saturday, according to Reuters.





"It did not happen," Sukkari said, according to Reuters. "By Almighty God, my blood is innocent of her."





Although Tamim was killed in the United Arab Emirates, the Egyptian judiciary is trying the case in Cairo because Egyptian law does not allow its citizens to be extradited for trials in other countries.





The defendants appeared Saturday in cages -- as is typical in Egypt -- before three judges in a crowded downtown courtroom.





Heavy security surrounded the building, amid a crush of reporters and onlookers.





The case, with its high-profile victim and defendant, has captivated Egypt and the region.





After his arrest in September, Egyptian authorities indicted Moustafa, stripped him of his parliamentary immunity and jailed him pending trial.





He also resigned as chairman of Talaat Moustafa Group -- a conglomerate with construction and real estate arms that was founded by his father, Talaat Moustafa.





Moustafa's brother, Tarek Talaat Moustafa, now chairs the company.





The case will resume on November 15. The defendants will remain jailed until then.
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