Mubarak Sues Doctor Who Leaked Recordings Of Private Conversations

Prosecutors in Cairo have started investigating a complaint filed by Hosni Mubarak against a prison doctor who the former president claims recorded private conversations and leaked them to the media.

Private daily Al-Youm Al-Sabea last week published excerpts of conversations between the doctor and the former president, including discussions related to several current political events. The newspaper’s website published sound recordings of the conversations.

During the conversations, some of which took place before the ouster of Mohamed Morsi in July, Mubarak heavily criticised Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

In later conversations he praised armed forces chief General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for instigating the ouster of Morsi, and described him as “smart.”

In his complaint, Mubarak said he did not know he was being recorded, and that the conversations had taken place during his medical checkup.

On Saturday, prosecutors summoned the doctor for questioning.

Mubarak was detained in March 2011 and was regularly moved between Tora prison outside Cairo and various hospitals due to his ill-health.

He had received life sentences in June 2012 for responsibility for the killing of peaceful protesters during the protests in January 2011 that led to his ouster. However, the verdict was overturned in January 2013 by an appeal court on grounds of procedural improprieties, and a retrial was ordered.

Although he is still facing retrial on those charges and others related to corruption, Mubarak was released from prison on 21 August by court order as he had reached the maximum legal limit for pre-trial detention. Following a public outcry, Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi ordered him to be placed under house arrest at a military hospital in Cairo.

Source : Ahram