Egypt: Mubarak and sons arrested over ‘illicit wealth’
Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, and his sons Gamal and Alaa, have been detained for questioning as part of an investigation by the country’s prosecutors.
A statement from the prosecutor general’s office was posted on Facebook announcing Mubarak’s detention, saying the ongoing investigation was into allegations of corruption, wasting public money, and the abuse of authority for personal gain.
“The prosecutor general orders the detention of former president Hosni Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa for 15 days pending investigation after the prosecutor general presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigations,” it said. Gamal and Alaa, were detained after being questioned into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Egypt’s interim government issued subpoenas to Mubarak and his sons over the weekend, compelling them to testify in court over claims that they illicitly acquired wealth and abused their power during the former president’s reign. Gamal, 47, Mubarak’s younger son, held a top post in the ruling party. Many Egyptians believed he was being groomed for top office, although both father and son denied any such plan.
The investigation is also reported to cover the killing of protestors during the mass demonstrations that toppled Mubarak from power in February.