Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly’s lawyer said that his client called on the military to take to the streets during the 25 January revolution after the number of protesters became too much for police to handle.
Adly, along with former President Hosni Mubarak, his sons Alaa and Gamal and six former top security deputies are charged with plotting to kill the 25 January protesters, spreading chaos and causing a security vacuum.
Mubarak and his two sons are also being tried for financial corruption, abuse of power and selling Egyptian gas to Israel at low prices.
More than 800 people were killed in the protests that overthrew Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power. Security officials across the country were acquitted of similar charges.
The lawyer explained that the referral decision was null, adding that police paid for the disturbance in the country and that the people took out their anger on the police.
He praised his client's role in keeping Sinai safe citing that there were no bombings during the years that Adly was in charge.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
