Ex-Head of Mubarak's Party Detained for Corruption

The head of Egypt's former ruling party, Safwat al-Sherif, a longtime stalwart of the regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, has been detained on charges of corruption, state TV said on Tuesday.

Sherif was detained late on Monday for 15 days "on charges of misusing public funds", TV said, as footage showed Sherif -- his face covered by a jacket -- being escorted into a police vehicle.

Sherif, who was secretary general of the National Democratic Party, had already been banned from traveling and his assets ordered to be frozen.

He is the latest in a string of former regime officials to be investigated, as part of a sweeping probe into corruption during the Mubarak era.

On Thursday, Mubarak's chief of staff Zakariah Azmi was detained on suspicion of illegally acquiring wealth.

Nationwide anti-regime protests that erupted on January 25 ended Mubarak's 30-year reign of the Arab world's most populous country.

The military, which assumed power after Mubarak stepped down in February, vowed to bring to justice all those found guilty of abuse.

But it has come under harsh criticism from pro-democracy activists for stalling on reforms, for not having put Mubarak on trial and for alleged rights abuses.

On Sunday, Egypt's public prosecutor ordered Mubarak and his sons to be questioned over violence against protesters and alleged corruption.

Mubarak, his wife Suzanne, two sons Alaa and Gamal and their wives have already been banned from travelling and had their assets frozen.

Several of his ministers as well as some businessmen close to the regime were arrested and banned from leaving Egypt after having their funds frozen.

The first member of Mubarak's regime to be put on trial was the much-reviled former interior minister Habib el-Adly, whose security forces were given wide powers of arrest under the emergency law.