CAIRO: Three senior officials from the regime of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak were banned from traveling abroad by the Ministry of Justice on Thursday. The move comes amid increasing demands by the coalition of the youth of the January 25 Revolution for the trial of the officials for corrupting and spoiling political life in Egypt. Many who participated in the 18-day uprising which led to Mubarak's ouster in February have called to purge the country of such former officials and foil any ‘counter-revolution' attempts. Since Mubarak's resignation, Egyptians have rallied for different causes on Fridays. This Friday has been dubbed the day to “save the revolution.” The youth are calling for a million-man march in Cairo's Tahrir Square and in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria on Friday, demanding the trial of all former officials of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), dissolving the former ruling party, and the speedy trial of the former president and his family. Fathi Sorour, formerly the speaker of the People's Assembly, Safwat el-Sherif, formerly speaker of the Shura Council, and former Presidential Cabinet chief Zakaria Azmi are now banned from traveling, said Assistant Minister of Justice Assem el-Gohari. All three held senior posts in the NDP under Mubarak's regime. The decision applies to their wives and children as well. All were banned from traveling after Egypt's public prosecutor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, received reports and communications against the three men regarding their illegal accumulation of wealth, reported state news agency MENA. “The decision of the Ministry of Justice came after investigations by the Illicit Gains Apparatus accusing the three officials of exploiting their political influences to gain money,” said a statement by el-Gohari, which called on the Cairo Court of Appeals to start an emergency session to reveal their bank accounts inside Egypt. El-Gohari also called on all concerned parties to provide him with any information about the wealth of former officials and businessmen, adding any former officials with illicit gains will be referred to the criminal court. Several former ministers and prominent businessmen have been banned from leaving the country and had their assets frozen, including former president Mubarak and his family. BM
