CAIRO: Former interior minister Habib Al-Adly denied during interrogations that police forces used live ammunition to disperse protesters in the early days of an uprising that ousted former president Mubarak after 18 days of protests.
“All … security forces … don’t carry live ammunition when facing gatherings or protests,” Al-Adly said during interrogations published in Al-Ahram Sunday.
Anti-regime protests had violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators, leaving more than 680 dead and over 6,000 injured, some seriously, according to rights groups and official reports.
Al-Adly also said information he received from the state security on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 indicated that large numbers of protesters plan to flood Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
He added that the call, first launched on Facebook and Twitter, was supported by almost all opposition groups that aimed to hold a sit-in in Tahrir because it is a major target surrounded by vital entities and embassies.
“If the square was controlled by protesters, it would totally paralyze the capital,” Al-Adly said.
“In view of this data, the Interior Ministry informed the presidency and the Cabinet and [took the necessary] security measures… [And] meetings were held with the deputy ministers of interior…to review the situation,” he added.
“Based on speculations about Jan.25, I instructed my deputies to handle the situation peacefully,” he claimed.
If riots erupted, Al-Adly added, the protests would be dispersed using water hoses.
“If they escalated, tear gas would be used and those proved to have committed crimes or violent acts would be arrested,” Al-Adly said, alleging that he warned his forces against using live rounds.
Al-Adly alleged that until 3.30 pm on Jan. 25 there were large masses of protesters in other areas like Maspero, near the Interior Ministry headquarters, the People’s Assembly and the Cabinet building.
“At that point [minor] clashes erupted between protesters and police forces who tried to prevent them from reaching these locations,” he added. “A number of policemen were injured [after] stones were thrown at them.”
According to Al-Adly, the situation became relatively stable but demonstrators continued to head to Tahrir Square, refusing to leave.
“They were peacefully dealt with and given a chance to leave. Then the numbers started to escalate dramatically starting 5 pm till the early hours of Jan. 26,” he said, adding that “the police forces were obligated to disperse protesters via water hoses and teargas till they left.”
Al-Adly said that other protests erupted on Jan. 26 and 27 but were less in number in Cairo but were more violent in Suez and Alexandria, where injuries and deaths took place among protesters and policemen.
“I don’t remember the [exact] details now,” he said.
Al-Adly further alleged that the same security procedures were taken during the Jan. 28 protests dubbed the “Friday of Rage.”
“Following Friday prayers, unexpectedly huge numbers took to the streets calling for toppling the regime,” he said.
“The security forces did not manage to break up the protests due to the huge numbers that surpassed their capacity,” he added.
Al-Adly told the prosecutor that he called former president Mubarak at about 4 pm to inform him of the situation and the police’s inability to handle it urging him to impose curfew.
“The president asked me to call the defense minister who told me that he would contact the president directly,” he said.
A curfew was imposed on Jan. 28 and the armed forces were deployed in Tahrir…while the presidential guards secured the state TV building, Al-Adly said, adding that he received an army escort to his office at the state security headquarters in Nasr City.
Al-Adly, who was in office from November 1997 – January 2011, has been in custody pending investigation into charges of premeditated murder of protesters, attempted murder of others as well as inflicting major damage to public and private property which had a negative impact on the economy.
Meanwhile, lawyer Essam Mohammadi El-Battawy, representing Al-Adly, called on the prosecutor during the interrogation to summon Mubarak in order to question him over the murder of demonstrators and the absence of security on the days following Jan. 28.
El-Battawy said Mubarak must be summoned in his capacity as the former supreme chairman of the police force.
He also urged the prosecutor to summon former premier Ahmed Nazif and the ex-ministers in his government to be interrogated over Al-Adly’s claims that he had informed them of the Jan. 25 and Jan. 28 protests ahead of time.
El-Battawy said that neither Mubarak nor Nazif held any meetings when protests broke out to discuss the necessary measures to contain the situation despite the warnings of his client, Al-Adly, against possible consequences.
Al-Adly is also charged with money laundering and unlawful acquisition of public money. He will face a second hearing on April 2.
Earlier last week, the fact finding committee assigned by the ruling military council held former president Mubarak, Al-Adly and a number of NDP leaders responsible for killing peaceful protestors during a revolt that ended Mubarak’s 30-year rule.
