CAIRO – Egypt's Chief Prosecutor on Sunday issued an official order to Interior Minister Mansour el-Eissawi to have ex-president Hosni Mubarak transported from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he is in hospital, to Cairo, to stand trial in the capital for killing protesters. The head of the Cairo Criminal Court, who is in charge of trying Mubarak, has vowed a speedy trial for the toppled president, the official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported on Sunday. "Mubarak's trial, which starts on Wednesday, will be transmitted on State-owned TV to "reassure people of the [credibility of the] process", Judge Ahmed Refaat confirmed. Some people fear that the trial may be immediately adjourned, but Refaat stressed that sessions will be "held daily” until its conclusion. The trial will include Mubarak, his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, former interior minister Habib el-Adli, six of his aides and businessman Hussein Salem, all charged with being involved in the killing of protesters during the 18-day revolt. The trial will be held at Cairo's Police Academy in New Cairo, where the courtroom will have the capacity for 600 people. Those present will include officials, lawyers, close relatives of the accused and accredited journalists, Refaat said in a press conference yesterday. The courtroom has a big open area, three partitions, six doors and microphones installed in the walls. The designers of the room are in a race against time to have it ready by Wednesday. They are busy welding the iron cage for the accused. Some members of the public will be allowed to register beforehand, in order to attend. Relatives of the victims of the uprising and activists had crowded previous court hearings for the former interior minister and other senior officials. Meanwhile, the photo of el-Adli, who has already been sentenced to 12 years behind bars, was removed on Sundday from the ‘board of trustees' at the same Academy. The Ministry of Interior is working with officials in the Armed Forces to secure Mubarak and the other accused during their transfer to the court. After the initial chaos at the news conference, Refaat asked that "the honourable attendees" allow "justice and the law to be thoroughly followed and the court and defence team to complete their duties". In related news, Essam el-Erian, the Vice-President of the Justice and Freedom Party, said that Mubarak's trial will be the trial of the century, adding that the people want the trial to be public and fair. During a popular conference held in an Upper Egypt governorate two days ago, el-Erian stressed that people the world over are waiting for the trial, as they want to know what will be the fate of a man who spent 30 years spoiling political life in Egypt.
