The Egyptian government remains earnest in prosecuting former President Hosni Mubarak and officials facing charges of corruption, Deputy Prime Minister Yehia al-Gamal told Qatari newspaper Al-Watan.
In an interview published Thursday, Gamal denied that Egypt is being pressured by Gulf States to abandon prosecuting Mubarak.
He dismissed rumors of a Saudi offer to provide Egypt with economic aid in return for dropping charges against the former president. He called the claim "totally untrue."
"Mubarak will be tried since he humiliated Egyptians," Gamal said, adding that the ailing president's age and health, including cancer diagnosed by his German doctors, should be taken into account.
Gamal also rejected claims that judicial procedures against former officials are merely nominal, asserting that the judiciary does not seek to deceive the people.
The number of cases under review is more than judges can handle, Gamal said, assuring that judges are doing their best to perform their jobs impartially.
Mubarak has been in detention at a hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh since April after a popular uprising in January ended his 30-year rule. He is facing charges of financial corruption and abuse of power, as well as involvement in murdering pro-democracy protesters during the revolution. He will stand for trial before a criminal court in August.
Several figures of Mubarak’s regime, as well as his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, face similar charges and are currently detained at Tora Prison.
