Former army chief to testify in Mubarak's retrial

Cairo: Egypt’s former army chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi is set to testify in a criminal court here in the retrial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak. Media were barred from the hearing during which the court will hear Tantawi’s testimony, state-run Ahram Online reported. Mubarak has been charged with complicity in the killing of peaceful protesters during the January 2011 uprising that led to the 85-year-old leader’s ouster. He also faces charges of corruption for selling natural gas to Israel below market rates. [caption id=“attachment_1287279” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] The deposed president’s two sons Gamal and Alaa, his Interior Minister Habib El-Adly and six security aides are also facing retrial. Mubarak and El-Adly received life sentences in June last year after being convicted of responsibility for the killing of protesters in January 2011. Earlier verdicts were overturned in January by an appeals court on grounds of procedural improprieties. The ban on media imposed by the criminal court will continue till Monday. Besides Tanwai, former chief of staff Sami Anan and the former head of military police are scheduled to testify against Mubarak. Mubarak was released from jail in August after being arrested over the alleged misuse of public funds but he is currently under house arrest in a military hospital in Cairo. PTI