Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will be held in detention for 15 days over charges he abused his position to illegally acquire wealth, Egypt's official MENA news agency is reporting.
MENA reported that Essam al-Gohari, head of the Egyptian Illicit Gains Authority, “has ordered the detention of former president Hosni Mubarak for 15 days following questioning in Sharm el-Sheikh that lasted three hours, over accusations of the illegal acquisition of wealth.”
The report also noted that Mubarak, who is currently under arrest in a hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh, and his wife Suzanne were questioned late Thursday over the corruption charges, and that Suzanne Mubarak would be questioned again later on Friday.
AFP noted that this was the first time the Mubaraks have been questioned by this branch of the Egyptian justice ministry. The investigator’s office told AFP that the ministry is looking into “charges that [the Mubaraks] used their position to acquire wealth illegally.”
Mubarak was previously questioned by the Egyptian prosecutor general’s office over similar charges, as well as over charges that he ordered the military to shoot anti-regime protesters, during the revolution that forced him to resign from power after 30 years.
During that questioning Mubarak reportedly suffered a heart attack and was rushed to a nearby hospital. His interrogation later resumed under medical supervision.
Mubarak has denied the accusations that he stole money from the treasury and has claimed that the stories about the missing billions were part of a “smear campaign” against him. However, most Egyptians believe that he is indeed guilty.
Mubarak, his wife Suzanne, his two sons Alaa and Gamal and their wives were banned from traveling outside Egypt and their assets have been frozen.
The two sons are being detained in a prison in Cairo, said AFP.