Mubarak and sons 'detained' on graft charges

13/04/2011| IslamWeb

Hosni Mubaraka, Egypt's former president, has been detained along with his two sons pending investigations into accusations of corruption and abuse of authority, the prosecutor general has said.

A statement from the top prosecutor's office, posted on Facebook early on Wednesday, said Mubarak''s detention would last 15 days.

"The prosecutor general orders the detention of former President Hosni Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa for 15 days pending investigation after the prosecutor general presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigations," it read.

It said the ongoing investigation was into allegations of corruption, the wasting of public money, and the abuse of position for personal gain.

Mubarak's sons Gamal and his business brother Alaa were driven away in a police van with drawn curtains as an angry crowd of 2,000 people pelted the car with water bottles, stones and their flip-flops, a sign of disrespect in the Arab world.

"Brothers, whatever you wanted, you have got ... 15 days," said Major-General Mohammed el-Khatib, the head of provincial security in the South Sinai.

Gamal, Mubarak's younger son, was a senior official in the ruling party and was widely seen as being groomed to succeed his father before popular protests brought down the regime.

His increasing role in the government over the last decade and the belief that he might succeed his father helped galvanize Egypt's protest movement.

Mubarak hospitalized

At least 800 people are estimated to have been killed during the protests as police opened fire on the crowds. Authorities are now investigating government officials for their role in ordering the violence.

Gamal is also believed to be the architect of Egypt's privatization program and economic liberalization, which has brought in billions in foreign investment but has also widened the gap between rich and poor.

Many of his close associates were billionaires and held senior positions in the ruling party and the government. There are allegations that they used their positions for personal gain.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mubarak had been questioned in hospital by prosecutors at the Red Sea town of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has been staying since he was ousted from power by a popular uprising on February 11.

Mubarak, 82, was taken to an intensive care unit after suffering heart problems when he was being questioned during an investigation, state television reported.

It did not give further details about his health or about the investigation.

Asked if Mubarak was in good health, Mohammed Fathallah, the hospital's director, replied: "Somewhat."

Reporting from Cairo, Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr said: "He has been under house arrest in Sharm el-Sheikh ever since he was ousted from power.

"We are still not sure of what condition he is in, but the former president has been complaining that he's been unwell for some time now."

Egyptian security officials told the Associated Press news agency that Mubarak arrived under heavy police protection at the hospital, which was picketed by pro-democracy activists.

PHOTO CAPTION

File photo of an anti-government protester as he defaces a picture of Hosni Mubarak in Alexandria, 230 km (140 miles) north of Cairo, January 25, 2011.

Al-Jazeera