Africa's grand embarrassment

Business

By Associated Press and Standard Team

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, ousted by people power in February, lay in a stretcher in court, sick, caged and on drip, as he faced justice for his regime’s killings and corruption claims. Worse still for a man who survived many assassinations and wave after wave of Mideast crises, and who was such a fixture that his exit from power was hard to conceive for most Egyptians before his thunderous fall, he is facing a death sentence.

Yet if he had left peacefully as demonstrators demanded, he would probably be enjoying his retirement and riches in tranquility somewhere in Egypt.

Egyptian protestors thronged Tahrir Square early this year and refused to leave until the regime of President Hosni Mubarak fell.  [PHOTO: AP]
The trial cast the image of the monumental shame an African despot has again brought to the continent, especially given the horror of his murderous regime and how hard he clung to power and planned to hand over to one of his sons.

After 29 years in power and still fighting to continue ruling even as riotous mobs sought his exit in the streets, he finally climbed down the citadel of power in shame.

On Wednesday, his fall from grace to grass was symbolised in the way he was flown from his cells in a State helicopter to face the charges, alongside his sons.

With him in the cage were his nine co-defendants, including his two sons — one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa — his former Interior minister Habib el-Adly, and six top former police officials. If he had had his way like many before him in the continent, one of the sons donning prison uniforms would probably be ruling Egypt today.

His dramatic appearance in court, hounded and cowed by the strange waters he found himself navigating after in the cold slab of forced power handover, rekindled memories of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo who also tried to cling to power but was forcibly removed in April and is now under guard by United Nations forces.

In this list of shame there is also former Tunisian strongman Ben Ali who was removed by the people and fled to exile in Saudi Arabia and is facing trial in absentia.

Ironically, Mubarak, who is now 83, faced his humiliating moment as a landmark African governance conference opened in Mombasa. It was dominated by debate on the curse of corruption and inept leadership in Africa. It was here that on Wednesday former South African President Thabo Mbeki warned Africa was losing the second decade of the 21st century just like the first.

Defendants cage

Ailing and lying ashen-faced on a hospital bed inside a metal defendants cage — with his two sons standing protectively beside him in white prison uniforms — Mubarak denied charges of corruption and complicity in the killing of protesters at the start of the historic trial in Cairo.

The spectacle, aired live on state television, was a stunning moment for Egyptians.

Many savored the humiliation of the man who ruled with unquestionable power for 29 years, during which opponents were tortured; corruption was rife, poverty spread, and political life was stifled.

After widespread skepticism that Egypt’s military rulers would allow one of their own — a former head of the airforce — to be prosecuted in front of the world, the scene went a long way to satisfy one of the key demands that has united protesters since February 11, when Mubarak fell following an 18-day uprising.

"This is the dream of Egyptians, to see him like this, humiliated like he humiliated them for the last 30 years," said Ghada Ali, the mother of a girl, 17, who was shot dead during the crackdown in Alexandria. "I want to see their hearts explode like my daughter’s heart exploded from their single bullet," Ali told The Associated Press, breaking down in sobs.

It was the first time Egyptians have seen Mubarak since February 10, when he gave a defiant TV address refusing to resign.

In the courtroom, a prosecutor read the charges against Mubarak — that he was an accomplice along with his then-Interior minister in the "intentional and premeditated murder of peaceful protesters", and that he and his sons received gifts from a prominent businessman in return for guaranteeing him a lowered price in a land deal with the State.

"Yes, I am here," Mubarak, said from his bed raising his hand slightly when the judge asked him to identify himself and enter a plea.

"I deny all these accusations completely," he said into a microphone, wagging his finger.

His sons also pleaded not guilty.

The emotions swirling around the trial were on display outside the heavily secured Cairo Police Academy where the trial was held. Officials said 53 people were hurt, most lightly.

About 50 supporters pounded on the steel gate trying to get into the compound, chanting, "We Love you, Mubarak!" until police charged at them with electrified batons and dispersed them.

Supporters

"We will demolish and burn the prison if they convict Mubarak," they screamed. Some of the supporters had bandaged heads from beatings, and many wore t-shirts with the slogan, "I am Egyptian and I reject the insulting of our leader."

But the father of a slain protester, among those sweltering in the heat outside on the third day of fasting in the Muslim month of Ramadan, was ecstatic.

"We are here to tell Hosni, ‘Happy Ramadhan, congratulations on your new cage,’" Mohammed Mustafa el-Aqad said. Wednesday’s court session was largely taken up by procedural measures as lawyers from both sides filed motions.

But no matter how dry the action, the sight of Egypt’s one-time most powerful man inside the defendants’ cage made of iron bars and metal mesh was riveting.

Defendants are traditionally held in cages during trials in Egypt.

Mubarak was flown in just before the session from Sharm el-Sheikh, the Red Sea resort where he has been under arrest at a hospital since April.

A sheet pulled up to his chest, he was wheeled into the defendants’ cage on a hospital bed at the session’s start. After weeks of reports from Sharm that he was in a coma, unable to speak and refusing to eat, he looked less frail than many had imagined he might.

Though he was pale and his eyes were ringed with red, his hair was dyed black, he was awake, alert, and wagged his fingers in defiance, as he denied the charges.

From time to time, Mubarak craned his head to follow the proceedings. Other times, he placed his elbow over his face in exhaustion.

While the other defendants sat on wooden benches in the cage the sons stood next to their father’s bed. They each carried a copy of the Quran and leaned over to talk to their father.

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