For a system in which corruption was reportedly a way of life, the problem is where to begin, reports Mona El-Nahhas "Do you really think they are still in Egypt?" Mohamed Mustafa, a 30-year-old news vendor asked. "I am sure they are in Europe by now, with the billions they stole from us." In a society in which 40 per cent of the population lives under the poverty line news of the systematic looting of the country's wealth is inevitably provoking calls for retribution. "I'll only believe corruption is being tackled when I see them behind bars," says Ali Hafez, a 40-year-old civil servant. But such is the distrust among the general public of the political elite's ability to police itself that Hafez is not holding his breath. Following the ouster of Mubarak dozens of complaints have been filed daily before Prosecutor-General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud implicating former cabinet ministers and leading members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) in corruption. Lawyers have also begun to file suits against Hosni Mubarak, accusing the former president and his family of corrupt practices. Late last week Cairo Criminal Court upheld the prosecutor-general's decree freezing the assets of Ahmed Ezz, the NDP's former secretary for organisational affairs, Rachid Mohamed Rachid, former trade and industry minister, Ahmed El-Maghrabi, former housing minister and Zoheir Garana, former tourism minister. They have also been banned from travelling abroad. Ezz, El-Maghrabi, Garana and Rachid all insist that their wealth was accrued from legitimate sources and they should not be turned into scapegoats for the regime. Ezz, who monopolised the steel market, was dismissed from his post at the NDP on the evening of the "Friday of Anger". Rachid, who is now in Dubai, is accused of misusing millions of pounds of the Export Development Fund's budget. He has said he will return to Egypt to defend himself against the charges. Garana is accused of allocating vast tracts of state owned land to businessmen at below market value. According to preliminary investigations by the prosecution he was instrumental in facilitating access to financial privileges for businessmen close to him. El-Maghrabi, too, is accused of building a vast personal fortune by misappropriating state lands. The latest in a string of suspect deals was the sale of the Amoun village in Aswan, owned by Misr Travel Company, to El-Maghrabi's cousin at a fraction of its market value. Both El-Maghrabi and Garana have already been summoned to the prosecutor-general's office for questioning. Summons for Ezz and Rachid have also been issued. Earlier this week the prosecutor-general ordered the freezing of the funds of former information minister Anas El-Fiqi and former prime minister Ahmed Nazif. Both have been banned from travel. On Saturday morning El-Fiqi was about to take a flight to London before being stopped at Cairo Airport. The airport authorities have been asked to prevent all former senior state officials from travel unless prior permission has been obtained. El-Fiqi is accused of wasting billions of Radio and Television Union funds. Former interior minister Habib El-Adli is also under investigation, accused of diverting millions in funds allocated to his ministry to his personal accounts. Since El-Adli lost his ministerial post on 28 January there have been repeated calls for him to face a military trial on charges of using live ammunition against demonstrators, inciting thugs and criminals to create chaos while deliberately evacuating the streets of security personnel. El-Adli has long been condemned by human rights organisations for using torture against detainees in police stations and prisons, causing the death of an unknown number. The prosecutor-general has asked Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit to request European countries to freeze the accounts and assets of some former officials. The Justice Ministry's illicit gains body is now examining the sources of wealth of all state officials and MPs accused of misusing their posts for personal gain. The prosecutor-general also met with members of the prosecution to examine complaints filed against Safwat El-Sherif, speaker of the dissolved Shura Council and a key figure in the ousted regime. El-Sherif is accused of misappropriating an estimated LE 12 billion of public funds. The former speaker of the People's Assembly Fathi Sorour is also expected to be questioned.
