Ousted president Mubarak to ask Egypt for forgiveness on air
Egypt's ousted president is expected to address the nation soon to ask for forgiveness, offer to return money to the country and plead for amnesty
Ahram Online, Tuesday 17 May 2011
Hosni Mubarak to ask for forgiveness
Former ousted president Hosni Mubarak is expected to apologise to the nation soon, according to media reports, and is aiming for amnesty.
According to the Shorouk newspaper, the speech is currently being prepared and will be aired on several Egyptian and Arab channels. Mubarak will apologise for his or his family’s wrongdoing against the Egyptian people, which he is expected to blame on bad advice and misinformation given to him by his consultants.
During the speech Mubarak will also express his willingness to return most of his wealth to Egyptians. He will also stress the fact that he was once a member of the country’s armed forces and fought to protect Egypt during the 1973 war against Israel.
The ousted president will also say that he never expected to ever hold the position of president and did his best to perform his duties, as did his wife, Suzanne Thabet, who did a lot of humanitarian work for the country.
The purpose of the speech would be to ask the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for amnesty and to not put him on trial.
The speech is expected to be written by the same speech writer who wrote his emotional address to the nation on 1 February where he promised reforms and urged the protesters in Tahrir Square to go home.
Mubarak, who stepped down from power on 11 February, has been detained in the Sharm El Sheikh International Hospital after suffering a heart attack while being questioned on 13 April. His wife is also in the hospital after she suffered from a nervous breakdown on 13 May hours after the Illicit Gains Authority ordered her detention for 15 days on charges of illegal acquisition of wealth.
Thabet has also reportedly already handed over some of her assets to the state.
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