Top police general deposes as Mubarak trial resumes

The trial of 83-year-old toppled president, who was wheeled into the courtroom in a stretcher, entered a crucial stage as the general and other witnesses from the police took the stand to give evidence on who ordered firings on the protesters which killed hundreds of people.

Mubarak is being held on the charges of corruption and complicity in the killing of protesters during the 18 days uprising in which 850 people were killed.

The court proceedings were held off-camera on orders of the trial judge Ahmed Refaat as pro and anti Mubarak supporters clashed outside. The official news agency MENA said 12 people were injured in the scuffles.

The first two sessions of the trial, beamed live, saw the once all powerful president appearing in the court room bound on a stretcher and caged, in images that gripped the entire Arab world.

The police general Hussein Saeed Mohamed Mursi and three other force officials are key witnesses as they manned the police operations room during the revolt, al-Arabia reported.

The court is investigating whether the orders to fire on the crowds were solely given by the interior ministry or the president.

Mubarak is charged with complicity in the killing of an estimated 850 people in the revolt. He is standing trial along with his two sons Gamal - once viewed as his heir apparent - and younger son Alaa as well as former interior minister Habib El-Adli.

Both Mubarak and El-Adly could face death penalty if convicted of ordering the killing of protesters.

The former president who is reportedly suffering heart aliment and depression was shown live on TV being flown from a hospital by helicopter to the police academy on the city outskirts and then wheeled in to courtroom on a stretcher.

His two sons and interior minister are being held in the Tora prison complex in the southern outskirts. Hussein Salem a wealthy businessman close to the Mubarak clan is also being tried in absentia at the same trial.

A battery of 10 Kuwaiti lawyers who arrived here asked the judge to join the defence the team. They said they had taken the step as a gesture of gratitude to Mubarak for US-led coalition invasion of their country to oust Iraqi forces in 1991.

Mubarak is the first and the most high profile Arab leader to stand trial on being ousted after 30 years in power.

Tunisia's fallen president Ben Ali is in exile in Saudi Arabia since his overthrow in January while Libya's dictator Muammar Gaddafi has become a fugitive in his own country.