Mubarak slams 'smear campaign'
Ousted Egyptian president gives first speech since being removed from power in February; says 'I gave up my role, while placing interests of homeland above all else.' He laments over 'false accusations aimed at harming me, my family's good name'
Al-Arabiya network on Sunday broadcast a pre-recorded speech of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
In his first remarks since his ouster, Mubarak denied he abused his authority to amass wealth and property. Forced out of office two months ago by a popular uprising, the former president said he was willing to cooperate in any investigation to prove that he did not own property abroad or posses foreign bank accounts.
According to Al-Arabiya, the speech was recorded Saturday after demonstrators gathered in huge numbers in Cairo to demand that the military council that took over from Mubarak launch an investigation into his wealth. There was no video image accompanying the recording of Mubarak's voice.
In his speech, Mubarak also attempted to preserve his family's honor from what he claimed was a "smear campaign."
"My brothers and sisters, the Egyptian people. It has been, and still is painful for me that me and my family are being subjected to a smear campaign and false accusations that are aimed at harming my good name, my views and my political and military history," he said.
"I invested all my efforts in Egypt and its people, during times of war and peace. I have given up on my role as the president of the republic, while placing the interests of the homeland and its sons above all else," said the ousted president.
The Mubarak family (Photo: AFP)
"I chose to distance myself from the political sphere and wished upon Egypt and its people the very best in the future. I have spent many years in the public service, however I can no longer remain silent about the fallacious accusations and slander and continued attempts to tarnish my name and my family's honor.
'No property abroad'
Since his ouster, Mubarak and his family have been under house arrest at a presidential palace in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, their assets frozen. But Mubarak has not been charged.
In his speech, the former president said he only possessed a single account in an Egyptian bank and only held property in Egypt. He said he would agree in writing, if requested, to allow the prosecutor-general to contact other countries to investigate whether he or his wife, Suzanne, owned any accounts or property abroad.
"I have waited many weeks for Egypt's prosecutor general to investigate the truth and for the countries of the world to report that I have no property or bank accounts outside of Egypt," he noted, adding, "I agree to authorize the prosecutor general in writing to allow him to contact, through the Foreign Ministry, all countries in the world to prove to them that I and my wife agree to show any accounts or properties I have possessed starting from my military and political career until now to prove to the people that their former president only owns domestically according to previous financial disclosure."
Mubarak also said he would allow Egypt's prosecutor general to investigate whether he, his wife or his wealthy businessmen sons, Alaa and Gamal, owned any real estate or properties "directly or indirectly, commercially or for private use" since the time Mubarak assumed office in 1981.
Despite Mubarak's claims, earlier on Sunday the Washington Post reported that the Egyptian prosecutor general estimated that the former president and his family members were concealing some $700 billion in cash and assets in western countries, and asked for legal aid in order to transfer the money to the Egyptian people.
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