Egypt’s public prosecutor on Sunday summoned former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak as part of probes into the killing of protesters and the embezzlement of public funds, but the ousted president said allegations of wrongdoing leveled against him were lies.
Mubarak’s sons Gamal and Alaa were also summoned in the embezzlement probe, general prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud said in a statement, adding that Mubarak’s rejection of the corruption accusations against him and his family would not affect the investigations.
Separately, the prosecutor detained former Egyptian prime minister Ahmed Nazif for 15 days as part of investigations into squandering of public funds.
Mubarak earlier broke a two-month silence since his fall from power on Feb. 11 to say information sent to the prosecutor would show he owned no financial assets or real estate abroad.
Details of bank accounts owned by his sons would disprove any suspicions of profiteering and illegal gains, he said.
“I will uphold all my legal rights to defend my reputation as well as that of my family both at home and abroad,” Mubarak said in a recorded statement carried by al-Arabiya TV.
The speech seemed to be as much about preserving his dignity as about denying the accusations against him.
“I was hurt very much, and I am still hurting — my family and I — from the unjust campaigns against us and false allegations that aim to smear my reputation, my integrity, my [political] stances and my military history,” Mubarak said.
Egyptian Minister of Justice Mahmoud al-Guindy said Mubarak and his family could help the investigation by giving the judiciary power of attorney to examine the wealth they hold outside the country, the state news agency MENA reported.
“This power of attorney would facilitate the task of the judicial committee tasked with making an inventory of their wealth,” MENA quoted Guindy as saying.
Several countries froze assets of Mubarak’s family and some of their associates after he was forced from office by a wave of public indignation at corruption among the political elite.
Protesters who massed across Egypt for 18 days to demand Mubarak’s removal accused him of squandering the country’s wealth and some media reports have suggested he may have amassed a fortune worth billions of dollars.
Mubarak’s family and some political allies have been banned from traveling while state prosecutors investigate the complaints against them.
Mubarak said he only had assets and bank accounts in one Egyptian bank, as he had previously disclosed.
Mubarak said “lies” carried by local and foreign media that he and his family own extensive real estate holdings abroad would be disproved.
Since he left office, Mubarak, 82, and his family have stayed in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and Egyptian officials have denied reports and rumors that he is very ill.
Many were not impressed by his speech.
“It was a condescending statement and the way it was worded was provocative,” said Nasser -Abdel-Hamid, a member of a youth coalition that led the protest.
Wael Abdel-Fattah, a columnist and a founder of a group demanding a clear course for transitional justice in Egypt, said Mubarak’s speech amounted to a “challenge” to the country’s military rulers, who had clearly disagreed on how to treat their former boss.
“He didn’t only steal the wealth, but he is a repressive leader that killed his people,” Abdel-Fattah said.
Essam El-Erian, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, said Mubarak still believes he is above accountability.
“Trying Mubarak is not only about bringing back the money. It also sets a precedent here that every ruler and president that comes after will know” he will face prosecution for any violations, El-Erian said.
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