Hassan Malek, known as "Al-Shater's successor," is considered one of the most prominent Muslim Brotherhood (MB) businessmen along with his business partner, the now-jailed deputy chairman of the Brotherhood in Egypt, Khairat Al-Shater. Since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, Malek was not charged with any criminal acts unlike other leading Brotherhood figures. However, all of Malek's assets have been frozen since September 2014 when the North Cairo Criminal Court upheld a decision by the prosecutor to freeze the assets of prominent MB leaders. Malek is the CEO of "Malek Group" and owns several clothes and furniture stores. His commercial and industrial ventures also included textile manufacturing and electrical supplies. In 1986, he established with Al-Shater the leading computer systems company Salsabeel, which was then the largest computer firm in Egypt and the Arab region. Malek was arrested after three years over charges of making an advanced data base for his outlawed group. After the January 25th revolution, Malek was released from prison on a presidential pardon to begin a new phase in his life. He planned to build a new economic empire under the rule of Morsi, which has not been completed due to the June 30 incidents and the overthrow of MB. During the ruling of MB, Malek headed a presidential committee of 20 businessmen that that tried to link the presidency with the major businessmen at the time. Malek was arrested from his home on the outskirts of Cairo on Thursday, a security source said, but the charges he faces are yet to be revealed.
