Facing charges on corruption and killing protesters, Egypt’s ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his wife Suzanne Thabet are to apologize to people and relinquish their assets in a desperate attempt to secure amnesty, an Egyptian daily reported.
Mubarak is said to be “drafting a letter which will be broadcast on Egyptian and Arabic channels, apologizing on behalf of himself and his family for any offence caused to the people,” said a report published in the independent daily Al-Shorouk on Tuesday, May 17.
The former president is also to apologize “for any acts which may have stemmed from false information passed on to him by his advisers,” the paper added, citing Egyptian and Arab official sources.
Mubarak, who had ruled Egypt for 30 years, was forced out of office February 11 in the face of an 18-day popular revolution.
He is currently under detention in a hospital in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has lived since his resignation.
Last Friday, Mubarak’s wife, Suzanne, was ordered to be remanded in custody for 15 days pending investigations into the illegal acquisition of wealth.
The former first lady, 70, is currently under detention with her husband in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh waiting to receive cardiac catheterization.
In the apology speech, currently being edited by a renowned journalist, Mubarak, 83, will say he is ready to hand over his assets to the state, the newspaper said.
“The president’s letter and his relinquishing of assets are aimed at getting the (ruling) Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to look into an amnesty,” the paper added.
A similar offer was presented on Monday by Mrs Mubarak to turn over a villa in a Cairo suburb and some $3m held in bank accounts in Egypt.
She gave three powers of attorney to Assem al-Gohari, the head of the Illicity Gains Authority, authorizing him to withdraw cash from accounts in two banks in Egypt, and to sell a luxury villa she owns in Cairo, the official MENA news agency said.
Legal representative of the former first lady said she would be benefiting from articles in Egyptian law which allows those accused of making illegal gains to give them up in exchange for dropping the investigation.
Pressures
Citing an anonymous military source, the paper referred to pressures on the military rulers from Egyptian and Arab officials to grant Mubarak amnesty.
“Many parties, some Egyptian and some Arab, have been mediating on this matter, to take place within an acceptable legal framework,” a military source told the paper.
Another gulf official told the paper that many capitals are urging Cairo to reach a possible settlement that would exclude the prison option.
“No one feels comfortable towards the imprisonment of Mubarak or his wife as we consider him one of October heroes after all,” the anonymous source said.
Similar concerns were raised inside the military ranks who feel uncomfortable towards imprisoning a man from the Egyptian army.
These points would be stressed in the said speech by the ousted president.
Mubarak will argue that he “was once a fighting soldier in the armed forces, defending the nation with no ambition to become president, but tried to carry the responsibility and the burden of the position,” the paper said.
He will say that his wife Suzanne “worked on charitable projects in a bid to serve the Egyptian people.”
Al-Shorouk said the amnesty request would extend to the Mubarak sons, Alaa and Gamal, who are being held in the south Cairo Tora prison complex on fraud charges.
But sources told the paper it was unlikely it would be granted to the sons.
The couple’s sons are facing a range of accusations, including incitement to open fire at demonstrators during the uprising that ousted the aging Egyptian leader.
More than 800 people died during the violence.
Gamal, 47, Mubarak’s younger son, held a top post in the now-disbanded ruling National Democratic Party.
Many Egyptians believed he was being groomed for top office with his mother being the primary force behind the plan, although both father and son denied any such scenario.