Legally accountable
May 28, 2011
An Egyptian court has fined ousted president Hosni Mubarak and two other former high-ranking government officials 540 million Egyptian pounds ($90 million, 63 million euros) for severing mobile phone and internet services during a popular uprising last January.
Mubarak was fined 200 million pounds, former prime minister Ahmed Nazif 40 million pounds, and former interior minister Habib Al-Adli 300 million pounds.
The three former officials are to pay the fines from their personal funds. The money will enter the Egyptian treasury.
The court ruled that the three men were guilty of "causing damage to the national economy."
Legal accountability
The ruling was the first against former president Hosni Mubarak since he was forced to resign last February under pressure from a mass uprising against his authoritarian regime.
Mubarak was ordered on Tuesday to stand trial for killing protesters. On Saturday, he was officially notified of his referral to court for abusing power and wasting public funds.
At least 800 people were killed during the protesters that ultimately toppled Mubarak from power. More than 6,000 people were wounded by live ammunition, rubber bullets, water cannons and batons.
Mubarak is currently being detained in a hospital at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. He suffered apparent heart problems during questioning.
Author: Spencer Kimball (Reuters, dpa)
Editor: Andreas Illmer