CAIRO: An Egyptian court on Monday heard the beginning of a corruption case against the sons of ousted and now jailed President Hosni Mubarak, Gamal and Alaa. They are being accused of manipulating the stock market for personal gains. The two Mubaraks and 7 others, are officially charged with “violating stock market and central bank rules to make unlawful profits through dealing of shares in al-Watany Bank of Egypt,” the court said. The two brothers were only five weeks ago acquitted of all charges against them on separate corruption charges. They were back in the steel cage, wearing white prison uniforms, as the prosecution read the details of the charges to the court. But both Mubarak's remained defiant on the charges, claiming innocence. “This has absolutely no basis in fact. I deny these charges in whole and in their details,” Gamal Mubarak told the judge. His brother said: “Unfortunately, sir, this is all lies and defamation.” Last month, their father was sentenced to life in prison, along with his Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, for their role in suppressing protests against his rule in January and February 2011. The other acquittals in the case, however, sparked anger among Egyptians, who demand that justice be brought down on those responsible. Activists singled out Cairo security chief Ismail al-Shaer as the organizer of the police action against protesters, and his acquittal has left many angry over the court rulings.
