Police officer accused of lying at Mubarak trial

EGYPTIAN prosecutors accused a police officer of giving false testimony yesterday in a heated session in the trial of Hosni Mubarak over his role in the killing of protesters.

Lawyers acting for families of some of the 850 people killed in the uprising that ousted the Egyptian president earlier this year have complained that some police witnesses changed their accounts and accused the prosecution of failing to build a strong case.

Mubarak, 83, who has been in hospital since April, has attended the trial on a stretcher inside a defendants’ cage in court. He is charged with conspiring to kill protesters and “inciting” officers to use live ammunition.

Police witnesses on Monday suggested that neither Mubarak nor his former interior minister Habib al-Adli, who is also on trial, gave any order to shoot. One officer yesterday told the court police were instructed not to take their guns to protests.

Prosecutors said police officer Abdel Hakim had initially told the prosecution he was given 300 shotgun cartridges, but in court he denied this.

“The guns were not allowed to be with the unit. The instructions were for officers not even to take their personal guns,” he said

Judge Ahmed Refaat said Hakim would be held in a separate room pending a decision on his testimony. As he was removed, one lawyer shouted: “You liar, you liar. You have been paid. This is the blood of your brother.”

Mubarak, who was driven from office after three decades in power on February 11, is the first Arab leader to stand trial in person since unrest erupted across the Middle East this year.

The judge looked to the cage and asked defendants if they had comments. Mubarak responded: “No, I have no comment.”

The judge suspended proceedings at one point to restore calm, and defended the prosecution from criticism by lawyers for victims’ families.

“They are men of law and justice. They must be respected. They have done great work in investigating this case,” he said.

Outside court, protesters also voiced frustration at the witness accounts. Many Egyptians say police used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition to try to quell protests.