Egypt's Mubarak taken to hospital during probe

Report says Mubarak suffered 'heart crisis' while being questioned for investigation; police force protesters out of Tahrir Square.

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak 311 Reu (photo credit: REUTERS/Tony Gentile)
Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak 311 Reu
(photo credit: REUTERS/Tony Gentile)
CAIRO - Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was taken to hospital on Tuesday after suffering a "heart crisis" when he was being questioned during an investigation, state television reported.
It did not give further details about the 82-year-old's health or about the investigation.
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Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, 82, entered the hospital on Tuesday, a judicial source and the website of a state newspaper reported, two days after he was summoned to take part in a probe by the public prosecutor.
Egypt's public prosecutor summoned Mubarak, ousted from power on Feb. 11 after 30 years in office, on Sunday as part of investigations into the killing of protesters and embezzlement of public funds. Mubarak has denied allegations of wrongdoing.
"The former president Hosni Mubarak entered ... Sharm el-Sheikh hospital," the website of the state-owned publisher of Al Ahram newspaper said. It said the president may not have to travel to Cairo to attend the investigation because of his admittance to hospital. A judicial source confirmed Mubarak had entered hospital. Earlier Tuesday, Egyptian Interior Minister Mansour el-Essawy said Mubarak would give testimony on accusations directed against him at a court on the eastern outskirts of Cairo, Al-Ahram reported, without saying when he would appear or what the accusations were.
Essawy said he did not know what Mubarak's reply to the summons had been, the newspaper said on Tuesday.
Mubarak's sons Alaa and Gamal have also been summoned for questioning.
Several countries froze assets of Mubarak's family and some of their associates after he was forced from office by a wave of public indignation at corruption among the political elite.
Mubarak has been staying at his residence in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh since he was toppled from power on Feb. 11, and he and his family have been banned from travelling while state prosecutors investigate complaints against them.
Justice Minister Mahmoud al-Guindy said an Egyptian delegation would travel to a number of foreign countries within days seeking to make an inventory of Mubarak's assets abroad, al-Ahram said.
The minister said Mubarak had agreed to provide to investigators a power of attorney over his bank accounts and assets.
Police move in to clear out Tahrir Square
Also in Egypt, soldiers and police moved into Cairo's main square on Tuesday to end a five-day sit-in by protesters demanding civilian rule and swifter prosecution of disgraced former officials.
A Reuters photographer saw hundreds of soldiers in the middle of Tahrir Square and military vehicles at every entrance to the normally busy thoroughfare, which the demonstrators had closed to traffic using barbed wire.
Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram was reporting Tuesday that normal vehicle traffic had returned to Cairo's central square to "great applause and cheers by people standing nearby."Hundreds of thousands massed in Tahrir Square on Friday in one of the biggest protests since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted. The army failed to disperse hundreds of protesters who remained in the square in the early hours of Saturday.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report