The defense in the "Battle of the Camel" case on Sunday requested that Ali al-Sisy, managing editor of Al-Masry Al-Youm, be summoned to testify. It also demanded that Ahmed Shafiq, who was then prime minister, be charged with helping the attackers gain access to Tahrir Square on 2 February last year while demonstrators were protesting against Hosni Mubarak
The court also heard the testimony of talk show host Sayyed Ali. Ali said he hosted "48 Hours" on the privately owned Mehwar TV channel on 2 and 3 February. “I received a phone-in from Major General Fouad Allam, former deputy of the disbanded state security apparatus, who named two persons and accused them of being behind the incidents.
"They were Safwat al-Sherif, former secretary general of the disbanded National Democratic Party, and Ibrahim Kamel, an NDP member. I requested the talk show staff contact them. Sherif didn’t respond, while Kamel answered. He misunderstood me when he thought I was accusing him. I told him it was Allam who accused him. However, he got angry and said: 'I’m in Mostafa Mahmoud Square and I have no relation with what was going on in Tahrir Square.'
"Five minutes after the show was over, I was surprised by phone calls and messages in English threatening to kill me. After that, campaigns were launched against me and the channel."
Ali called on court to summon activist Nagat Abdel Rahman, who appeared on the talk show. He said she has information that could reveal a big part of the truth.
“Following the ouster of the former president, revolutionaries started to explain what happened in Tahrir,” he said, adding that the revolutinaries had evidence of the thuggery that occurred.
Ali submitted CDs containing evidence given to him by Tarek Zeidan, head of the Egyptian Revolution Party.
Earlier today:
Talk show hosts Khairy Ramadan, Tawfiq Okasha and Sayyed Ali are scheduled to testify Sunday in the “Battle of the Camel” trial.
Cairo Criminal Court summoned the three on Saturday after requests by the suspects’ defense.
Testimonies from presidential candidate and former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, member of the ruling military council Major General Hassan al-Roweiny and activist Mamdouh Hamza are to be heard Monday.
Islamic preacher Safwat Hegazy and Freedom and Justice Party MP Mohamed al-Beltagy have been summoned to give their testimonies on 12 June.
The suspects include 24 figures of the disbanded National Democratic Party, businessmen and former members of Parliament.
They are accused of involvement in killing protesters on 2 and 3 February last year during the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.
On 2 February, peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators were attacked by assailants in Tahrir Square, some of whom were mounted on horses and camels. The attack became known as the Battle of the Camel. At least 11 protesters were killed.
The court ordered the prosecution to provide copies of the ruling issued in the trial of Hosni Mubarak, and former Vice President Omar Suleiman’s testimony. It also requested devices to screen CDs that that had been submitted by the defense during Saturday’s session.
The suspects’ defense claimed the incidents were planned by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
