Cairo: Egyptian authorities on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmad Shafiq on corruption charges in a case involving the ousted leader's two jailed sons.
Shafiq, a longtime friend of Mubarak who was the runner-up in Egypt's presidential election in June to the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, is currently living in the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier, Egypt's prosecutor general referred Shafiq to a criminal court on corruption charges related to his decision as minister of aviation to sell land owned by the ministry to Mubarak's two sons Gamal and Alaa at a very low price.
Shafiq has repeatedly denied corruption allegation.
Gamal and Alaa are in custody and on trial in a separate case on charges of insider trading.
Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for almost three decades until his ouster last February, is serving a life sentence for failing to prevent the killing of protesters during the 18-day uprising that forced him to step down.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, September 12, 2012, 00:37