CAIRO �" A Cairo court on Tuesday upheld a decision by Egyptian Prosecutor General Abdel Maguid Mahmoud to freeze all assets of former President Hosni Mubarak and his family, state news agency MENA reported. Mahmoud ordered on February 28 a freeze and investigation of the properties, assets, bank accounts and government bonds held by the ousted president and his family, who were also banned from travelling abroad. The general prosecutor made the decision after receiving complaints accusing Mubarak of exploiting his influences to amass a huge fortune during his 30-year rule. The prosecutor requested on February 21 the Foreign Ministry to freeze, through diplomatic channels, all overseas assets of Mubarak, who resigned and handed over his power to the military on February 11 after the 18-day nationwide demonstration. Switzerland, the world's biggest offshore banking center, ordered a freeze of assets that may belong to Mubarak shortly after his stepping down. Corruption was one of the major complaints of Egyptian anti-regime protesters. The top prosecutor issued orders of travel ban and assets freeze for a number of senior officials of the former regime during and after the protests. Egypt is governed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in a transition period after Mubarak resigned on Feb. 11 due to massive nationwide protests which resulted in 365 dead and more than 5,500 injured.
