CAIRO: Judge Bahaa Abou-Shaka praised the court decision to suspend broadcasting at the trial for former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and his six security chiefs. Abou-Shaka criticized the infighting and squabbles that have characterized the breaks between court sessions. The attendance of defendants, defense attorneys and the prosecution alone are enough to meet the “public” standard, he said, adding that the court's decision does not violate the principles of transparency. The court has a right to summon Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi if his testimony is of interest to the case, Abou-Shaka said. The increasingly aggressive demands made by the lawyers will delay any ruling, he added. “The decision [suspension of broadcasting] violates the decisions of the High Judicial Council and the Public Prosecution,” said legal expert Anwar al-Refaee. “The court should lean on the military council and summon the leader of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF),” he added.
