3 Top Mubarak Cronies Banned From Leaving Egypt
Egypt’s Justice Ministry on Thursday imposed a travel ban on three top associates of former President Hosni Mubarak, citing corruption suspicions, in the latest move against the pillars of the old regime.
The three men were among the most powerful figures in the previous government and the lack of legal moves against them five weeks after the president had stepped down, had raised suspicions that they would escape investigations being carried out against so many others.
The legal pursuit of former regime officials are for many Egyptians one of the key achievements of their 18-day revolution that topped Mubarak on Feb. 11.
Parliament speaker Fathi Surour, presidential chief of staff Zakariya Azmi, and ruling party head Safwat el-Sherif were some of the closest cronies of Mubarak and controlled access to him.
“This decision comes in light of revelations from investigations conducted by oversight bodies regarding the wealth they amassed,” prosecutor Assem al-Gawhari told the official news agency.