The decision to freeze former President Hosni Mubarak and his family's assets and ban him and his family from traveling abroad was based on a complaint filed by Mustafa Bakri against Mubarak and his acquisition of wealth, said Head of Giza Criminal Court Mohammed Abdel Latif Hamza. Hamza did not rule out the possibility that suspicions raised over the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's funds, which were registered in the name of Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, could also be a major reason for the decision. He said Mubarak would likely be charged with of profiteering and facilitating the acquisition of public funds. Hamzah went on to say that he expected Mubarak to face three to five years of hard labor and that his two, Alaa and Gamal, would be considered partners in crime for exploiting their father's influence as president of the country. Hamza said he expects the investigations to reveal forged documents. Meanwhile, law expert Shawky al-Sayed said the Attorney General's decision affirms that no one is above the law, including the former president and his family, and that it is a natural result of an awakening national consciousness. Al-Sayed said that Mubarak is expected to be convicted of smuggling money abroad and of abusing his influence, which are criminal rather than political offenses. He went on to say that if convicted of committing state security crimes in Egypt and abroad, Mubarak may be exposed to even higher penalties. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
