'Mubarak could face death penalty for fire on protesters'

Egyptian justice minister: Only former interior minister's testimony that Mubarak gave order to fire could secure conviction, 'Al-Ahram' reports.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Mubarak 311 Reuters (photo credit: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah )
Mubarak 311 Reuters
(photo credit: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah )
Egyptian Justice Minister Mohammed el-Guindi on Saturday said that former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak will face the death penalty if convicted of ordering the shooting of demonstrators, the Associated Press reported.
Guindi told Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, "Certainly, if convicted for the crime of killing protesters, it could result in the death sentence," according to the report.
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Additionally, he said that Mubarak had made corruption the chief "discourse" of his government. Mubarak, his wife and two sons are all facing corruption charges.
Vital to a conviction for opening fire on protesters, Guindi said, was whether former Egyptian interior minister Habib el-Adly was willing to testify that Mubarak gave him the order.
On Thursday, Gamal Mubarak said that his father, Hosni Mubarak, did not instruct troops to shoot at demonstrators, Al Masri Al Youm reported.
According to the Egyptian daily, which reported on the details of the former president's sons' investigation, Gamal said that he was close to his father at the time of the protests.
Gamal reportedly said that Mubarak asked the interior ministry to show restraint and not use force on the protesters.


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