Egypt's intelligence chief to testify in Mubarak retrial

Cairo Criminal Court will hear Saturday testimony of the head of the General Intelligence apparatus, Mohamed El-Tohamy, in the ongoing retrial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, his two sons Gamal and Alaa, his former interior minister, Habib El-Adly, and six former security aides.

El-Tohamy, who will testify in a closed session, was head of the Administrative Control Authority during the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak.

Mubarak, Al-Adly and six former security aides are being retried over charges of complicity in the killing of peaceful demonstrators in the 2011 revolution.

A media ban was imposed by the court on the retrial sessions in September, citing reasons of national security.

Several officials have been summoned to give testimony, including retired military head Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, ex-chief of staff Sami Anan, former head of military police Hamdy Badeen, ex-spy chief Mourad Mowafi, ex-military commander for the Cairo area, Hassan El-Roueini, Mubarak era premier Ahmed Nazif and former oil minister Sherif Ismail.

Top government and military officials will continue to testify till 13 January.

Mubarak and El-Adly both received life sentences in June 2012 on charges of political responsibility for the killing of peaceful protesters during the January 2011 uprising that led to Mubarak's ouster.

Earlier verdicts were overturned in January 2013 by an appeals court on the grounds of procedural improprieties.

The 85-year-old deposed president also faces charges of squandering public funds by selling natural gas to Israel at below market prices.

He was released from jail in August but has been kept under house arrest in a military hospital in Maadi, a Cairo suburb.