Egyptian charged over murder plot

By Heba Saleh
BBC correspondent in Cairo

President Mubarak helped open the new Alexandria Library in 2002

Egyptians are following with amazement news of the arrest of a prominent Egyptian engineer in Britain.

Mamdouh Hamza, whose company built the Alexandria Library, has been charged with four counts of soliciting to murder.

He was held by police after he arrived in London earlier this month to attend a party given by the Queen.

Official sources in Cairo, however, have denied that Mr Hamza is wanted for any wrongdoing in his country.

The Egyptian media has identified the alleged victims as two Egyptian government ministers, the speaker of parliament and the chief of staff of President Hosni Mubarak.

Surprise and disbelief

Mr Hamza was arrested in London on 12 July, a few hours after he flew in from Cairo to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

News of his arrest emerged in Egypt this week, causing huge surprise and disbelief.

Mr Hamza is a well-known, award-winning engineer whose firm, Hamza Associates, built the Alexandria Library and other major projects in Egypt and elsewhere.

He is also known as a thoughtful writer on Arab political affairs.

Although Mr Hamza has had a well-publicised dispute with the Egyptian housing minister, those who know him say it is unimaginable that he would plot to kill anybody, let alone four senior people in the Egyptian state.

So far, nothing is known about the nature of the British evidence against him.

A court hearing is due to be held on 1 September.