Mubaraks are to be asked about allegations they were connected to crimes of assault against protesters in Egypt. | |||||
| Middle East Online | |||||
By Ines Bel Aiba - CAIRO | |||||
Egypt's ex-president Hosni Mubarak has been placed in detention for 15 days, prosecutors said Wednesday shortly after state media reported his two sons had also been detained. In a statement on the public prosecutor's Facebook page, a spokesman said the prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud authorised the detentions "as part of an inquiry into the use of force against protesters during the unrest in January and February." Mubarak was admitted to hospital on Tuesday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh shortly after suffering a heart attack during questioning by prosecutors, state media said. It was not immediately clear where his 15-day detention would take place. Earlier, state television said Mubarak's two sons had also been detained. "It has been decided to imprison Gamal and Alaa for 15 days for the needs of the inquiry," the report said. They are accused of incitement to fire at demonstrators during a popular uprising that lasted from January 25 till February 11 when Mubarak reluctantly stepped down. Nearly 800 people died during the uprising. A security source said the two brothers were heading for the Tora prison in Cairo from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where they were interrogated. On Sunday, public prosecutor Abdel Magid Mahmud ordered the inquiry, as part of a sweeping probe into corruption and abuse. The Mubaraks were to be asked about allegations that they were "connected to the crimes of assault against protesters, leading to deaths and injuries", the official MENA news agency said. Prosecutors had begun questioning Mubarak and his son Gamal earlier on Tuesday, Justice Minister Abdel Aziz al-Guindi said, adding that the questioning over acquiring wealth illegally had not yet started "as that will be handled by the department of illicit gains". State television reported that Mubarak had refused to eat or drink since he received news on Tuesday morning that he was to be questioned. He was admitted by his bodyguards to the VIP wing of the Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital, the report said, adding that the hospital was not accepting any patients except for emergency cases. Police cars and ambulances surrounded the hospital, as well as a heavy military police presence, the television said. The former president was dressed in a black and white track suit, a witness said. Asked if Mubarak was in good health, hospital director Mohammed Fathallah replied: "Somewhat." The state-owned daily Al-Ahram, citing sources in Sharm el-Sheikh, said on its website that Mubarak had gone to hospital "under the pretext of being unwell in order to avoid facing questioning". The former president was also to be quizzed about allegations of graft, MENA added. The prosecutor's summons came after the broadcast of an audio tape in which Mubarak defended his reputation and after weeks of mounting protests calling for him to be put on trial. In the audio message aired on the pan-Arab television network Al-Arabiya, Mubarak complained he was the victim of a smear campaign. He pledged his assistance in a probe of his family's foreign assets, but his defiance in threatening lawsuits against the media angered Egyptians who have been pressing for his trial. After he resigned, Mubarak and his family moved to a residence in Sharm el-Sheikh. Although he is subject to a travel ban, his relative freedom has been a thorn in the side of the military rulers. Weekly protests demanding his trial have attracted tens of thousands and eventually led to a deadly clash with soldiers early Saturday after they tried to clear an overnight demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir Square. |
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Mubarak, two sons detained for 15 days
Mubarak suffers heart attack during grilling
Mubarak’s admission came as prosecutors began questioning his sons, Alaa and Gamal, in the south Sinai capital of Al-Tor, a judicial source said.
Mubarak was admitted to the Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital in the Red Sea resort where has been living with his family since nationwide protests forced him to step down in February.
State television reported that Mubarak had refused to eat or drink since he received news Tuesday morning that he was to be questioned.
On Sunday, public prosecutor Abdel Magid Mahmud ordered the inquiry, as part of a sweeping probe into corruption and abuse.
Nationwide protests that erupted on Jan. 25 forced Mubarak to give up his 30-year grip on power and hand the reins to a military council.
“Mubarak was admitted to the Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital this afternoon, amid a very heavy security presence in the town,” a security source told AFP.
He was admitted by his bodyguards to the VIP wing of the hospital, state television reported, adding that the hospital was not accepting any patients except for emergency cases.
Police cars and ambulances surrounded the hospital, as well as a heavy military police presence, the television said.
The former president was dressed in a black and white track suit, a witness said.
Asked if Mubarak was in good health, hospital director Mohammed Fathallah replied: “Somewhat.”
The state-owned daily Al-Ahram, citing sources in Sharm El-Sheikh, said on its website that Mubarak had gone to hospital “under the pretext of being unwell in order to avoid facing questioning.”
The Mubaraks were to be asked about allegations that they were “connected to the crimes of assault against protesters, leading to deaths and injuries,” the official MENA news agency said Sunday.
The riots, which saw repeated clashes between protesters, and police and Mubarak loyalists left an estimated 800 people dead and more than 6,000 injured.
The former president was also to be quizzed about allegations of graft, MENA added.
The prosecutor’s summons came after the broadcast of an audio tape in which Mubarak defended his reputation and after weeks of mounting protests calling for him to be put on trial. In the audio message aired on the pan-Arab television network Al-Arabiya, Mubarak complained he was the victim of a smear campaign.
– Agence France-Presse
Hosni Mubarak detained over corruption allegations
Former Egyptian president's arrest follows detention of his two sons on Tuesday night
guardian.co.uk,
Article history
Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak, has been detained as authorities in the country investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of his authority.
His detention comes after the 82-year-old reportedly suffered a heart attack while being questioned on Tuesday night.
Mubarak's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, have also been detained after being questioned over corruption claims into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
A statement from the prosecutor general's office announcing Mubarak's detention said the ongoing investigation was into allegations of corruption, the squandering of public funds, and the abuse of authority for personal gain.
"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 said.
Egypt's interim government issued subpoenas to Mubarak and his sons over the weekend, compelling them to testify in court over claims that they illicitly acquired wealth and abused their power during the former president's reign.
The announcement of their detention came just hours after Mubarak was hospitalised with heart problems in Sharm el-Sheikh. He has been in internal exile in the Red Sea resort since Egypt's mass uprising earlier this year.
In a sign his health may not be in immediate danger, justice minister Mohammed el-Guindi said questioning of the former president continued in hospital.
While the ex-president was in hospital – where he is expected to remain for the period of his detention – his sons were taken for questioning to a local court by prosecutors from Cairo.
Gamal Mubarak, his younger son, was a top official in the ruling party and was widely seen as being groomed to succeed his father before 18 days of popular protests brought down the regime on 11 February.
An angry crowd of 2,000 people gathered outside and demanded the two be arrested.
Then, in the early hours of the morning, the head of provincial security in the South Sinai told the crowd that Gamal and his businessman brother Alaa would be detained.
"Brothers, whatever you wanted, you have got … 15 days," said Major General Mohammed el-Khatib, as the crowd erupted in cheers.
As a police van with drawn curtains took away the two brothers, the crowd pelted it with water bottles, stones and their shoes, a sign of disrespect in the Arab world.
About 800 people are estimated to have been killed during the protests as police opened fire and cracked down 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 privatisation program and economic liberalisation, 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 top positions in the ruling party and the government.
Egypt detains Mubarak and sons over corruption, abuse of authority
Statement posted on prosecutor general's office Facebook page says ongoing investigation is in place into orders to open fire on demonstrators during recent upheavals.
By The Associated Press and Haaretz ServiceEgypt's prosecutor general announced Wednesday a 15-day detention for former President Hosni Mubarak to investigate accusations of corruption and abuse of authority, hours after announcing the detention of his sons Alaa and Gamal.
News of the reported detention order came a day hours after Mubarak, 82, was hospitalized with heart problems as investigations began over his own role in corruption and suppressing the protests that eventually led to his ouster.
 | Ousted Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak attends a meeting with South Africa's President Jacob Zuma at the presidential palace in Cairo October 19, 2010. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
The former Egyptian president was deposed Feb. 11 after 18 days of popular protests and has been under house arrest in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh for the last two months.
According to a statement posted on the Facebook page of the prosecutor general's office early Wednesday, Mubarak, as well his sons have been detained for 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.
The statement says the ongoing investigation was into the orders to open fire on demonstrators as well as any abuse of the president's authority for personal gain.
Mubarak's reported detention came just hours after Egyptian prosecutors ordered the detention of his two powerful sons over their role in violence against protesters and corruption allegations are investigated.
Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are, like their father, to be detained for 15 days, Egyptian state television said on Wednesday. State prosecutors are probing accusations of embezzlement.
Many of Mubarak's top associates are now being questioned for their activities in the previous regime, but the detention of his sons is by far the most startling development since his Feb. 11 removal from office.
Gamal Mubarak, his younger son, was a top official in the ruling party and was widely seen as being groomed to succeed his father before popular protests brought down the regime.
While the ex-president was in the hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where he has been living since being removed from power, his sons were taken for questioning to the nearby courthouse by prosecutors from Cairo.
An angry crowd of 2,000 people gathered outside and demanded the two be arrested.
In the early hours of the morning, the head of provincial security in the South Sinai told the crowd that Gamal and his businessman brother Alaa would be detained.
"Brothers, whatever you wanted, you have got ... 15 days," said Maj. Gen. Mohammed el-Khatib, as the crowd erupted in cheers. Egyptian state television later confirmed the order.
As a police van took away the two brothers, the crowd pelted it with water bottles, stones and their flip-flops, a sign of disrespect in the Arab world.
In the two months since Mubarak stepped down, the council of generals ruling the country have initiated a series of investigations of top regime officials.
Leaders across the Mideast are looking to escape Mubarak's fate
Mubarak's investigation, as well as that of two of his sons, is one of the most important measures undertaken by the new regime to calm an anxious Egyptian public.
By Zvi Bar'elThree leaders, Muammar Gadhafi, Bashar Assad, and Ali Abdullah Saleh, are certain they can still escape the fate of Hosni Mubarak and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Each of them decided to violently repress popular unrest; all of them are promising reforms without committing to a timetable; and each and every one of them has decided to ignore both international pressure and Arab attempts at compromise.
The most intense battle is being waged in Libya, where 300 people have reportedly been killed in the city of Misrata alone, with gunfights also reported in the rebel-controlled city of Ajdabiya. Despite the persistence of clashes, NATO forces have cut back on their attacks on ground targets, thus taking away much of the military backing they provided to the rebels, who have subsequently been forced to withdraw from their western advance.
 | Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak receiving Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad in Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, Nov. 30, 2004. |
| Photo by: AP |
Meanwhile, Mubarak continues to provide the top story coming out of Egypt, after collapsing on Tuesday during questioning and rushed to a Sharm El-Sheikh hospital.
The investigation of Mubarak and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, centering on allegations of embezzlement and killing protesters, is one of the most important measures undertaken by the new regime to calm the public, some of which has begun to express frustration at what looks like foot-dragging en route to political and economical reform.
But, by the evening hours Egyptian television stations were already reporting developments in Mubarak's medical condition, citing estimates he had a heart attack, and adding that his investigation has been continuating even in the hospital. As such, the controversy surrounding political reform is replaced with the question of should or not shouldn't Mubarak be allowed out of the country for medical treatment.
Defecting Libya Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, who also ran the country's intelligence for a while, said in London that Libya could turn into a new Somalia if a decisive military victory was not achieved.
Koussa was travelling to Qatar on Tuesday, a fact that drew scathing criticism against the U.K. for allowing the man suspected of planning the 1988 Lockerbie bombing out of the country.
However, his warning did not seem to impress the United States. Washington, for now, has decided to object to continued ground strikes in Libya, saying it would stick to preventing attacks targeting civilians by the Libyan air force.
The U.S. decision has developed into a full-blown dispute between France and Britain, who support continued ground attacks and even in sending ground troops, and other NATO states, led by Turkey, who opposed such a move.
All the while, proposals for a diplomatic compromise, like those submitted by Turkey and the African Union, were rejected by both Gadhafi and the rebels, who are unwilling to accept any deal that does not explicitly mandate the ouster of Gadhafi and his family.
And so, as Western countries argue over the modes of military attack, Gadhafi can continue his violent struggle, one which could turn into a draw-out war of attrition.
Assad is better off than Gadhafi for several reasons. He isn't facing armed forces such as the Libya rebel groups, there are no reports of defecting military of Baath party officials, and mostly because the Western pressure on Assad isn't close to the kind of international involvement seen in Libya.
Washington may condemn the violent repression, but it has yet to demand Assad's ouster. And so, the Syrian president can surround the city of Banias with his tanks, shoot at the residents of Bayda, lay strict curfews against Daraa, cut power lines and internet service, and arrest hundreds of activists and protesters, creating the impression that the Syrian agenda will not be set in the street but in the presidential palace.
Unlike Libya, Tunisia, or Egypt, the Syrian army is inseparable from the country's regime, who also "owns" the country's economy. The possible fall of Assad's regime would mean, thus, much more than the loss financial benefits enjoyed by the regime and the president's family.
The military itself could become a target of public wrath, as would the Baath party. So theoretically, if Assad would be willing to enact far-reaching changes, he would encounter stiff resistance from the army and from the owners of the country's economical monopolies.
In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh is willing to test the ability of his opposition to topple him, as he leans on some of the tribal leaders which continue to support his rule, or on those accepting the compromise according to which a gradual leadership change would take place through new elections.
These proposals and others are rejected by those who demand Saleh's immediate ouster as a condition for any compromise. Even here it seems that Yemen could fall into a war of attrition, perhaps not as violent that taking place in Libya, but still one that disrupts and poses a danger to everyday life.
Report: Mubarak Suffers Heart Attack Under Questioning
by David Lev
In a statement, the Egyptian prosecutor general’s office said Wednesday that “the public prosecutor has ordered the detention of former president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak and his two sons Alaa and Gamal Mubarak for 15 days pending investigation after the public prosecutor presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigation of charges and submitted the detention decision to the relevant police authority.”
Mubarak and his sons were detained in the Sinai resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, where they took refuge after Hosni Mubarak resigned as Egyptian president on February 11. The arrests came after reports last week that Mubarak may have stolen hundreds of billions of dollars over the years from the Egyptian treasury, squirreling it away in private bank accounts around the world. Questioning centered on the money, as well as “on the crimes of assault against protesters, leading to deaths and injuries,” the government said in a statement.
According to reports, Mubarak, 82, keeled over during questioning Tuesday, and was rushed to a nearby hospital. The reports said that Mubarak suffered a “heart event,” but was apparently not too sick to answer questions, as his interrogation resumed – under medical supervision. He reportedly requested permission to fly to Germany and be treated by doctors familiar with his situation there, but was refused by authorities. Press reports said that Mubarak refused to eat and drink on Tuesday after he learned he was to be questioned.
Mubarak has denied the accusations that he stole money from the treasury, appearing in a video broadcast on the Al-Arabiya network proclaiming his innocence, saying that the stories about the missing billions were part of a “smear campaign” against him. However, most Egyptians believe that he is indeed guilty, and when word spread Tuesday that it was Mubarak who was being taken to the hospital in the ambulance that set out from police headquarters, dozens of people spontaneously gathered and began hurling rocks and debris at the vehicle, witnesses said.
On Wednesday, numerous reports in the Egyptian media said that Mubarak had just been pretending to be sick in order to get out of questioning – in the hope that he will be allowed to leave the country under the guise of seeking medical treatment, and thus avoid justice. Mubarak, for his part, said last week he would cooperate with any investigation, and that he was innocent of all charges.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
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