Egyptian Minister of Justice Mohamed Abdel Aziz al-Guidi has confirmed that former President Hosni Mubarak will not be transferred to Tora prison until his health improves, saying that doctors have recently confirmed that Mubarak was in no fit state to be moved.
However, Guindi said that Mubarak would be transferred to prison once his health had stabilized and that he would then be tried before a judge like anyone else, with no exceptions being made on account of his former status.
During a meeting with businessmen in Alexandria on Thursday, Guindi said, “There are no exceptions in the treatment of those imprisoned in Tora. We will not have mercy on any corrupt official, so he will be an example to his successors.
"We will not reconciled with those who are corrupt, but may reconcile with those who benefited from corruption without taking part in it.”
Regarding Egyptian money that has been illegally transferred abroad, Guindi said, “We will retrieve Egypt’s smuggled money completely, not only part of it. Statements claiming that only 20 percent of it will be restored are not true.”
Some news reports had said that due to legal complexities, Egypt would only be able to retrieve 20 percent of the money looted by figures from the former regime.
Guindi also revealed that the government is about to draft a new law on dissolving local councils, which was among the demands of revolutionaries. He added that "temporary" local councils would be formed, and that the Ministry of Local Development would work with governors in choosing temporary members.
Guindi also revealed that the Shura Council might be abolished, reasoning that the country does not need two executive councils, referring to the People’s Assembly and the Shura Council.
First established after a poll in 1979 under rule of deceased President Anwar al-Sadat, the Shura Council was only intended as a consultative body, supporting the People's Assembly. Some observers say that Sadat founded the body mainly to control the press in Egypt.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
