Egyptian court orders retrial for ousted ex-President

Mubarak has been at a military hospital since December An Egyptian court has announced former President Hosni Mubarak will stand trial again, convicted of participating in the killing of unarmed protesters during the country’s January 25 Revolution. "The court has ruled to accept the appeal filed by the defendants and orders a retrial," Judge Ahmed Ali Abdel Rahman announced during the brief hearing.
A date has not yet been announced for the retrial.
The decision means Cairo judges accepted the appeals of Mubarak and al-Adli but also accepted appeals from the public prosecutor, based on the expiration of the criminal case. The two men, along with co-defendants including Mubarak’s two sons, Alaa and Gamal, businessman Hussein Salem and six assistants to former Interior Minister al-Adli are also accused of exporting gas to Israel.
A new panel of judges would consider Mubarak's health condition during the retrial, it has been reported, after the 84-year-old former President was transferred from to a military hospital in December after breaking his ribs in a fall.
A number of Mubarak supporters flocked to the High Court in downtown Cairo on Sunday morning awaiting the final decision. Cheers erupted following the announcement.
A bolstered security presence around the courthouse meanwhile prevented journalists and members of the public from entering the court.
Earlier, Egypt’s public funds prosecutor issued an order for Mubarak to be detained for 15 days amid allegations that he accepted valuable gifts worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars from the country’s top newspaper, Al-Ahram.
The prosecution, led by Ahmed al-Najjar, is investigating reports that Mubarak received watches, pens, bags, belts, and jewellery from Al-Ahram Foundation between 2006 and 2011.
Judicial sources told Arabstoday that Ibrahim Nafie, former Chairman of al-Ahram gave gifts to members of the Mubarak regime between 1984 and 2011. The recipients ranged from Mubarak, his wife, his two sons and their wives, to the Prime Minister, a number of ministers and their assistants.
Sources say that despite Mubarak being successful in his appeal, the new detention order prevents him from walking free.
Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah has stopped 26 senior figures from Mubarak's regime including his family, a number of former ministers, ex-presidents of the People's Assembly and Shura Council and former press leaders, from disposing of their financial and real estate assets. He has also banned them from leaving the country while the Ahram gifts investigation is carried out.