Jailed cronies of Hosni Mubarak offer assets for freedom

Cairo Members of ousted president Hosni Mubarak's regime, in jail for corruption, have offered their assets in exchange for their release, Egyptian state media reported Thursday.

The government says it is considering the deal, which would pump vital money into the suffering economy, but the move risks infuriating protesters who pushed to put the officials on trial.

Since the popular uprising that ousted Egypt's veteran strongman last year, dozens of former ministers and old regime associates have been imprisoned on graft charges.

Some of the former officials are now offering their assets in exchange for their release, finance minister Mumtaz Said was quoted as saying in the state-owned daily Al Ahram.