Court gag on Tamim trial

Cairo: Reporters were on Sunday barred from attending the sensational murder trial of Suzan Tamim after the court ordered a news blackout.

The court order comes only a day after the prosecution requested to summon Jamal Mubarak, the son of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to testify about his relationship with business tycoon Hesham Tala'at Mustafa - the prime suspect in the case.

The prosecution has also requested to summon Interior Minister Habib Al Adli about his involvement in the case.

Mohammadi Qensawa, chief judge of the Criminal Court in Cairo, said the media would be barred from attending the trial of Mustafa, one of Egypt's top property developers, and Mohsen Al Sukkari, an ex-policeman.

Both are accused of involvement in the slaying of Lebanese singer Suzan Tamim in Dubai on July 28.

"This is a bad sign for the course of the trial," said Mohammad Abdul Wahab, an Egyptian lawyer engaged in the case. "We are supposed to be living in a democratic country espousing transparency. So it's confusing to hear about this blackout," he told Gulf News.

Book banned

Abdul Wahab, a lawyer for Lebanese national Adel Matouq, who claims to be husband of the slain singer, predicted more restrictions in the case. "I expect curbs on the defence lawyers themselves from security personnel in tomorrow's [Monday's] session."

The court also ordered a ban on a book, Hesham's Innocence of Suzan's Blood, written by Samir Al Sheshetawi, a lawyer engaged in the case. In his book, Al Sheshetawi pleads innocence for Mustafa and blames Al Sukkari for the murder.

The court said that the book attempts to "influence public opinion" and "constitutes a bid to meddle with justice".

The author said his book is pertaining to the case. "I stand by every word mentioned in the book and is ready to take full responsibility for it," Al Sheshetawi said.

The court, moreover, ordered that two other books on the same case The Big People and Suzan Tamim's Killing and The Prey and the Hunter be referred to prosecutors to decide whether to confiscate them.

The decision was made after a request from Fareed Al Deeb, the lawyer for Mustafa, who termed the two books of attempting to influence the course of trial.

"Our duty is to find the real culprit," judge Qensawa said before ordering the mediapersons to leave the court hall.

The case raises important questions over power politics in Egypt and whether justice can be served.

Government officials have gone great lengths to disassociate themselves from Mustafa's case and prove that they are abiding by the law, according to Ebrahim Eisa, editor of Al Dustour newspaper and outspoken critic of the Mubarak regime.