CAIRO - The snail's pace, at which official measures have been proceeding to trace the wealth of the Mubarak family, both inside and outside Egypt, has given a general impression on the street that something fishy is going on. This perception is still there despite an order by the Chief Prosecutor to Mubarak and his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, to be summoned for questioning on charges of graft and a deadly crackdown on protesters. Unofficial reports that have circulated since the ousting of Mubarak claim that the former president amassed a fortune out of arms deals and other illegal business transactions, which enabled him to own a fleet of cars, extensive property in Egypt and overseas not to mention swollen bank accounts. One such report published in the British newspaper The Guardian referred to wealth equivalent to $ 70 billion, whereas other estimates were more modest. A report filed by Moustafa Bakri, a journalist and a former MP shockingly revealed that Hosni Mubarak and his wife Suzanne had been authorised to deal with a $ l45 million bank account belonging to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The big surprise, however, was that the Bibliotheca management had no idea that these funds existed in the first place. It was not until the first week of April when the ruling military council ordered the formation of a legal committee to probe such reports that public anger was somewhat contained. The panel, headed by the Deputy Minister of Justice, is assigned to take legal measures to unveil the confidentiality of Mubarak's accounts as a prelude to the retrieval of such wealth. Legal experts say that the restoration of purported assets would not be possible unless coupled with a clear judicial indictment of Hosni Mubarak and any other official facing the same accusations. The problem however, according to legal views, is that any further delay would give these suspects ample time to smuggle their money to countries, which are not bound by international agreements in this respect. Saeed Goweili, a professor in international law at Zagazig University, has explained the difference between freezing and retrieving assets. “The State has the right to ask for such a freeze whether inside or outside the country under the 2003 UN anti-corruption agreement. Yet, the act of retrieval is conditional on an indictment and civil court ruling,” Goweili told Al-Wafd opposition newspaper. The Prosecutor General, as experts have explained, has been requested to formally send evidence of corruption and graft as soon as possible to countries where the former president's assets exist in order to maintain their freeze. There is great public pressure at the moment exhorting the newly formed panel not to waste time in taking protective measures to ensure that the funds will not be smuggled to other channels. Calls are also being voiced urging the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to put the former president on trial, charged with financial, moral and political corruption. In press statements, Yehia el-Banna, the Chief of the Court of Appeals, said that, should Egypt delay any longer in formally requesting a freeze on the purported assets of Mubarak and his close circle, within days the EU is bound to cancel the freeze that had been imposed by the l7-member bloc. Fingers have been bluntly pointed at the ousted president's men, who still occupy key posts. as being responsible for the deliberate delay in taking legal action. The purpose as Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil, former deputy chief of the Court of Cassation, says is to obliterate traces of ill-gotten gains and allow room for rearrangement of their document portfolio. Mubarak denied in a radio broadcast on Sunday what he termed as lies about his assets and expressed readiness to co-operate with prosecutors. Ever since the stepping down of Mubarak on February 11, there has been an avalanche of news reports about his health condition and daily routine in his posh retreat, the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. They have suggested that there is an intentional drive to protect the strong man, who held power for 30 years. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces was, however, keen to clarify that Mubarak is under house arrest.
