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WORLD NEWS Thursday 19 May 2022
Egypt: Mubarak son says family clear of corruption charges

CAIRO (AP) — The son of prosecution was depend-
Egypt’s former president ing. The ruling meant EU
said Tuesday that he and sanctions on the Mubaraks’
family members were inno- accounts were deemed
cent of corruption charg- unlawful, and lifted. Ga-
es made in international mal Mubarak said his fam-
courts after the country’s ily was being reimbursed
2011 popular uprising, after for their legal costs related
courts last month in Swit- to the case. Transparency
zerland and the European International condemned
Union ruled in the family’s the move, saying it would
favor. show other leaders around
The announcement by Ga- the world that they can act
mal Mubarak, the son of with impunity.
former Egyptian president The EU and Swiss investiga-
Hosni Mubarak, came af- tions were part of a series of
ter years of attempts by the court proceedings against
deposed president’s family the Mubaraks in the wake
to rehabilitate its image as of the mass protests.
it faced litigation in Egypt The father and the two sons
and abroad. In the 20-min- were first detained in April
ute long video released 2011, two months after the
online and titled “Mubarak Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, seated center left, and his two sons, Gamal Mubarak, uprising forced Mubarak to
family statement on the left, and Alaa Mubarak attend a hearing in a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt on Sept. 14, 2013. step down as part of the
successful conclusion of all Associated Press Arab Spring protest move-
international judicial pro- ment.
ceedings,” he portrayed the family responds, and di- set up to succeed his fa- laundering and organized A leading military coun-
the family’s legal issues rectly,” he said. ther, who was in power for crime linked to linked to cil was established in his
as resolved. He said that In February, a massive leak nearly 30 years. The interna- Mubarak’s circles in Egypt. place, which then gave
the announcement was of Credit Suisse clients’ in- tional anti-corruption group They also said they would way to the divisive Islamist
prompted by media mak- formation showed Gamal Transparency International release some 400 million president Mohamed Morsi
ing “false allegations of Mubarak and his brother, has estimated that as presi- Swiss francs - $430 million - after elections in 2012. Mor-
corruption” against his fam- Alaa, to have held at least dent, Mubarak stole some frozen in Swiss banks. si was later deposed by the
ily, but did not explain how $197.5 million in the bank at $70 billion in public funds. The same month, the Gen- military amid more popular
the family had amassed its one point in time. The 2011 The former president died eral Court of the European protests.
significant wealth. protests were built on calls in 2020, aged 91. Union ruled that the rights Following a lengthy trial,
“My family has decided for an end to deep-rooted In April, Swiss prosecu- of Mubarak’s wife, two sons Hosni Mubarak was ac-
that we simply cannot stay embezzlement and govern- tors decided not to file and their wives had not quitted of killing protesters
silent anymore in the face ment corruption in Egypt, charges after concluding been respected during a during the 18-day upris-
of such persistent defama- and growing concerns that a decade-long investiga- local Egyptian investigation ing against his autocratic
tory reporting. It is time that Gamal Mubarak would be tion into alleged money of his assets, on which the rule.q

Brazil’s top court rejects leader’s complaint against judge

By DIANE JEANTET aro accused de Moraes of the court since early in the (attorneys),” the complaint broadcast on social me-
Associated Press slow-walking the fake news pandemic, when justices stated. dia in which he contested
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — inquiry and hurting his im- ruled that mayors and gov- Bolsonaro’s lawyer also the reliability of electronic
Brazil’s Supreme Court on age in an electoral year. ernors have jurisdiction to questioned the justification voting machines. He has
Wednesday rejected a Supreme Court Justice Dias determine restrictions to for including the president repeatedly sown doubt
complaint filed by President Toffoli denied the request, slow the virus’s spread; as a target of the investiga- about the voting system,
Jair Bolsonaro in which he arguing that the facts de- Bolsonaro was a fierce op- tion. Bolsonaro was includ- though never presented
accused a justice of abus- scribed “do not bring evi- ponent of lockdowns and ed after organizing a live any evidence of fraud.q
ing his authority, marking dence, even minimal,” of a other restrictions. Last year,
the latest escalation of crime. he requested the Sen-
confrontations between The complaint has broader ate move to impeach de
the far-right leader and the political context as well: De Moraes and threatened
top court. Moraes will preside over the to disregard any of the jus-
Bolsonaro filed a com- nation’s electoral authority tice’s rulings.
plaint on Monday target- in the upcoming election, “Either the (fake news) in-
ing Justice Alexandre de when Bolsonaro will seek a quiry is being unjustifiably
Moraes, who is overseeing second term, and the presi- extended to the detriment
an investigation to deter- dent has repeatedly raised of those being investigat-
mine whether some of Bol- questions about whether ed, since after more than
sonaro’s most ardent allies the vote will be fair. thirty-six months there is not
are running a social media Bolsonaro began showing even a partial report of the
network aimed at spread- animosity to the Supreme investigations. Or, there are
ing threats and fake news Court with the opening of partial reports and justifica-
against Supreme Court jus- the so-called fake news in- tions for proceeding with Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro rides a jet ski during a boat rally
tices. vestigation in 2019. He has the inquiry that are being in his support, in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, May 15, 2022.
In his complaint, Bolson- been openly feuding with hidden from the defense Associated Press