CAIRO: Egypt’s ousted president Hosni Mubarak denied in a recorded audio message aired on Al-Arabiya channel all corruption allegations against him, confirming that neither he nor his family posses any assets abroad.
Less than an hour later, the prosecutor general summoned Mubarak as part of investigations into the killing of protesters and embezzlement of public funds.
Comments by Mubarak on Sunday in which he denied accusations of corruption would not affect the investigations, the prosecutor said.
"I feel deep sorrow and pain for the allegations against me and my family aiming to defame my integrity my political and military honor that I used for serving Egypt at times of peace and war," Mubarak said.
The deposed president said he couldn’t stay silent over the unfair accusations against him and his family. He was waiting until the truth reached the prosecutor General from all foreign ministries allover the world to confirm that he didn’t own any assets abroad.
"Based on my financial disclosure report that confirms that I do not own any assets abroad, I agree to present any documents, reports or signatures that would help the Prosecutor General ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reveal any assets owned by me or my wife abroad," Mubarak said.
He said procedures will show that the sources and assets of his sons’ wealth were not marred by misuse of power or illegal profiteering.
Mubarak’s sons Gamal and Alaa were also summoned in the embezzlement probe, the prosecutor said on Sunday in the same statement.
Mubarak said he retained the full right to sue whoever smeared his or his family’s reputation.
Many had blamed the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) for its delay in freezing Mubaraks’ assets and starting investigations. For two consecutive Fridays, Tahrir square and other similar places across Egypt were filled with protesters demanding speedy investigations into corrupt officials and putting them on trial.
"Of course the SCAF’s reluctance would be blamed, since 60 days are more than enough for Mubarak to hide any evidence that would support such accusations," said Nabil Abel-Fattah, researcher in Al-Ahram Institute for Political and Strategic Studies.
"This will increase the gap between Egyptians and the SCAF because if there were quicker actions, we would not have listened to this speech."
Abdel-Fatah said that the timing of the speech came after Mubarak’s feeling that it was his turn to be put on trial, so the ousted president was trying to get his stance clear.
"He has the right to sue whoever accused him, especially after reputable newspapers like the Guardian and New York Times published estimates of his fortune reaching $70 billion, in addition to allegations by Egyptian media, his opponents and youth of Jan.25," Abdel-Fatah said.
"But the right to criticize his undemocratic rule, the attempted ruining and well-planned corruption of Egyptian political life is granted to all his opponents in all ways possible, since all of this happened under his 30-year rule, and he is directly responsible for it." –Additional reporting by Reuters
