CAIRO: The Egyptian authorities issued Thursday a decision to detain the former Chief of Staff to the ousted President Hosni Mubarak for 15 days pending investigation under accusations of embezzlement and corruption, the state-run MENA news agency reported. The move came a day before the Revolution Youth Coalition called for a million man march on Friday under the slogan “Friday of trial and purification.” At least two protesters and two military officers who had defected from the armed forces were killed when the military opened fire. The protesters demands include quickly arresting former President Hosni Mubarak along with his associates, specifically Fathi Surour, Safwat Al-Sherif, Zakaria Azmy and Ahmed Nazif and to “send them to prosecution for all the crimes they committed against the Egyptian people,” according to the statement. The march also demanded the dismissal of the General Prosecutor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, for his part during the investigations with former officials in addition to his relationship with many “corruption figures” who Egyptians demand to be prosecuted including the ousted President and others. Zakaria Azmi, one of Mubarak's closest aides, a member of parliament and one of the leading figures of the former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), was questioned last week by Essam el-Gawahri, Assistant of the Minister of Justice who was also heading a committee in charge of uncovering corruption during Mubarak's 30-year rule. On Monday, Egypt froze Azmi's assets along with two other senior officials namely El Sherif and Sorour. He was charge of illegally amassing a huge fortune including lands, real estates and villas across the country. Egypt's state-owned Al-Ahram daily newspaper reported that Azmi was sent to the infamous Tora Prison, the same prison where a number of former senior officials from Mubarak's regime are being detained, including steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz and the former organizational secretary of the NDP. The decision came after the Illicit Gains Authority began interrogating former Presidential Chief of Staff Azmi on charges of corruption Thursday. BM
