Trial Of The Mubaraks, Former Interior Minister And Business Tycoon Salem To Resume Today

The North Cairo Criminal court is to resume today the trial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, as well as his Interior Minister Habib El-Adly and close ally Hussein Salem.

Mubarak together with El-Adly are accused of killing demonstrators during the 18 days which led to the former president’s overthrow. The ex-autocrat together with his two sons also face accusations of using their former positions to illicitly expand their fortunes. The trial is held at the Police Academy, formerly known as Mubarak’s Security Academy, where his police cadets used to receive their four year training before joining the force.

Mubarak and Salem are accused, as well as the former minister of petroleum Sameh Fahmy, of exporting the gas to Israel at below market price, causing Egypt a loss of LE714 million throughout the deal. Salem, who is now in Spain, also faces charges of using his connections with the Mubarak family to illicitly expand his profit.

Mubarak, who received a life sentence in June 2012 for failing to protect unarmed anti-regime protesters during Egypt’s 18-day popular uprising in early 2011, was granted a retrial in January due to “procedural irregularities” in the initial trial.

Mubarak is currently in Tora Prison Hospital in Cairo after Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah ordered his transfer there from Maadi Military Hospital.

Ahram