Egypt's loser Shafiq leaves country

2012-06-26 14:12

Ahmed Shafiq. (AFP)

Cairo - A Cairo airport official says Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister who was defeated by an Islamist in the race for Egypt's new president has left the country for the United Arab Emirates.

The official says Ahmed Shafiq flew out of Egypt at dawn on Tuesday, just hours after the country's prosecutor general opened an investigation into allegations that he wasted public funds during his eight-year-term as a civil aviation minister under Mubarak.

The official says Shafiq was accompanied by his three daughters and grandchildren. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohammed Morsi narrowly defeated Shafiq in the presidential election runoff that deeply polarised the nation.

- AP