Other business associates of Gamal included former parliamentarian
Mamdouh Ismail, the owner of a ferry that sank, which resulted in the death
of more than 1,000 people. Ismail was cleared of a charge of negligence and
relocated to Britain. The sentence has come under appeal.
Ahmed Ezz, a senior NDP figure, has been accused of forming a monopoly
in the steel industry in Egypt. Ezz was also said to have been brought into
the ruling party by Jamal.
The scandals resulted in the reemergence of the old guard at NDP. At the
NDP conference in late October, Jamal's associates maintained a low profile.
Gamal, regarded as the No. 2 figure in NDP, has been seen as successor
to his 80-year-old father. Egypt's state-owned media has portrayed Gamal as
a political and economic reformer. For his part, Gamal has refused to
discuss his plans.
"Is there a country or a party that decides on its candidate for
elections three years before they take place?" Gamal asked.
Egyptian sources said the scandals around Gamal as well as the economic
crisis in Egypt could delay the reported retirement plans of the senior
Mubarak. They said Mubarak, whose term ends in 2011, has been allocating
unprecedented amounts of money into internal security amid the threat from
Al Qaida-aligned elements.
"Article No 77 in the Egyptian constitution allows the president,
whether good or bad, to keep his post for life," Egyptian analyst Suleiman
Juda said.
