New corruption charges
May 30, 2012A statement by the prosecutor-general's office said Wednesday that Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are to stand trial in a criminal court alongside seven other defendants. They will face allegations of insider trading and stock market manipulation. A date for the trial has not yet been announced.
Gamal, Egypt's one-time heir apparent, and Alaa, a wealthy businessman, are currently in jail in Cairo. They are on trial with their father in a separate corruption case. A verdict is expected on June 2.
The ex-president, who was ousted in February last year, is also charged with complicity in the death of some 900 protesters, killed during the 18-day uprising. If convicted next month, the 84-year-old could face the death penalty. He is currently being held in a military hospital, where he is being treated for a heart condition.
The verdict will come at a politically sensitive time for Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, who goes up against Islamist Mohammed Mursi in a run-off presidential election scheduled for June 16-17.
ccp/ncy (AFP, AP, Reuters)