Mubarak faces probe into charges of abuse of authority and graft

Cairo: Egypt's prosecutor general announced yesterday the 15-day detention of the country's former president, pending inquiries into accusations of corruption and abuse of authority in an unprecedented investigation of a former ruler in the Arab world.

The announcement was the latest in a dramatic series of events surrounding the probes against top former Egyptian regime officials, and came just hours after former President Hosni Mubarak, 82, was hospitalised with heart problems in the Red Sea resort of Sharm Al Shaikh.

Since Mubarak's ouster on February 11 on a wave of popular protests, Egyptians have been calling for the investigation of their longtime ruler along with that of many members of his government.

A statement from the prosecutor general's office announcing Mubarak's detention was posted on the social networking site Facebook early on Wednesday. It 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 Jamal and Alaa for 15 days pending investigation after the prosecutor general presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigations," it read.

Hospital

Just hours earlier, a separate announcement said the ex-president's two sons were being questioned and detained. It is believed Mubarak will remain in the hospital for his detention.

Most of the top officials of Mubarak's regime are now being investigated on allegations of corruption and abuse of authority.

The Facebook page was set up as an outreach from the Justice Ministry to the families of those killed and injured during the 18 days of protests that ousted Mubarak in mid-February.

While the ex-president was taken to the hospital in Sharm Al Shaikh, 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 had gathered outside the hospital late Tuesday, demanding the sons' arrest. Then, in the early hours yesterday, head of provincial security in the South Sinai told the crowd that Jamal and his businessman brother Alaa would be detained.

"Brothers, whatever you wanted, you have got ... 15 days," said Major General Mohammad Al 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 flip-flops, a sign of disrespect in the Arab world.

Later, an airport official at the Sharm Al Shaikh airport said the sons have been transferred aboard a private jet to the Torah prison on the outskirts of Cairo. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Increasing role

The increasing role of Jamal Mubarak in the government over the last decade and the belief that he might succeed his father helped galvanise Egypt's protest movement.

Hundreds are estimated to have been killed during the protests as police opened fire and cracked down on the crowds. Officials put the number of protesters killed during the uprising at 365, but human rights activists and others have said the figure is much higher. According to a count by the Front to Defend Egypt Protesters, a group that provides medical and legal assistance to the demonstrators, 685 people died as of March 7.

Authorities are now investigating government officials for their role in ordering the violence.

Privatisation programme

Jamal is also seen as the architect of Egypt's privatisation programme 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. There are allegations that they used their positions for personal gain.

Immediately after Mubarak's hospitalisation and in a sign that his ailment might not be very serious, however, Justice Minister Mohammad Al Guindi said he was then questioned in his hospital suite for his role in the violence against protesters. The ministry statement on Facebook said Mubarak's lawyers and a medical team were present during the interrogation.

The investigation into corruption charges would be carried out later by the Justice Ministry's anti-corruption department, he added.

The protest movement that deposed Mubarak had long pushed for him to be brought to justice for what they say are decades of abuse.

The protesters had criticised the army, which took over the country after the president was pushed out, for being too close to the old regime and not swiftly bringing Mubarak to trial.