The North Cairo Criminal Court will hear on Tuesday the testimony of former General Intelligence Services chief and former Vice President Omar Suleiman concerning charges against former President Hosni Mubarak of complicity in the killing of protesters during the 25 January revolution. The court decided last Wednesday to summon Suleiman to testify per the request of the prosecution's legal team, which considers his testimony to be essential to the case. Mubarak appointed Suleiman, who had been the chief of intelligence service for 20 years under Mubarak's rule, as Vice President on 29 January in an attempt to calm protesters calling for Mubarak's resignation. Suleiman then disappeared from the political scene after Mubarak resigned on 11 February. Suleiman will be the most prominent official from Mubarak's regime to be questioned by the prosecution since the trial began in August. According to some Egyptian news reports, Suleiman's statements during investigations in April confirmed Mubarak's involvement in the protester deaths. The state-run newpaper Al-Akhbar reported on 26 May that Suleiman claimed during interrogations that Mubarak was completely aware of every shot fired at protesters in Tahrir Square. However, other news reports reported that Suleiman had not heard the former president ordering protesters be killed. Suleiman is also considered the central witness for corruption cases involving former members of Mubarak's inner circle, who stand accused of exporting natural gas to Israel, conducting illegal weapon deals, seizing state lands, and squandering of public money. Military prosecutors are also believed to be reviewing reports accusing Suleiman of squandering public money during the 20 years he spent as intelligence chief, say the reports. No information about these allegations is publicly available. The same news reports accuse officials from the Nile Valley Gas Company, which is controlled by the General Intelligence Services, of wasting public money as well.
