Cairo, Egypt - The trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his interior minister, Habib Al-Adly, was adjourned to Thursday for a number of witnesses to appear. Head of the Cairo Criminal Court, Judge Ahmad Refaat, decided on Wednesday to summon the head of the interim ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), Field Marshal, Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, for testimony on Sunday, at the request of both prosecution and defence lawyers.

Judge Refaat also decided to hear the testimony of SCAF deputy, Chief of Joint Staff, Samy Aanan on Monday.

In a process that is to proceed throughout the whole of next week, the Court also summoned Mubarak's intelligence chief, and vice, General Omar Suleiman to hear his testimony on the events of the revolution on Tuesday.

The Court will also listen to the testimonies of incumbent minister of interior, General Mansour Al-Issawy, and the man who took over from Al-Adly at the height of the revolution's events, General Mahmoud Wagdy, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

The Cairo Criminal Court decided on Wednesday, that next week's sessions would be closed, with the sole presence of defendants, their lawyers and the prosecution.

The Court also stressed that all parties are barred from reporting the content of the awaited secret testimonies, adding that any such breach will be met by legal punishments.

Like Monday's session, no TV cameras were allowed in on Wednesday, the fourth session in the case, in adherence with Judge Refaat's decision to ban live broadcasting of the trial and all TV cameras from the Court's hall, unlike the first two sessions.

Journalists who will not be allowed in Court next week, were, however, present as should be the case in Thursday's 5th session of the trial.

Outside the court, at the Police Academy headquarters on the outskirts of Cairo, the scene was quieter than previous sessions, as Wednesday saw minimum scuffles between supporters and opponents of the ousted President.

Mubarak is being tried along with his former minister of interior, and six of his assistants on charges of involvement in the killing of protesters.

Mubarak, his two sons, Alaa and Gamal and fleeing businessman Hussein Salem, are being tried in the same Court for charges of financial corruption.

The 83-year-old Mubarak, who has denied along with the other defedants all charges, appeared on Wednesday again on a medical stretcher, as has been the case since the start of the trial last year

Pana 08/09/2011