Ferry owner's assets frozen
2006-04-13 18:43
Cairo - Egypt has frozen the assets of the owner of the Al-Salaam 98 ferry that sank in the Red Sea in February.
About 1 000 people died in the disaster.
Egyptian socialist prosecutor Gaber Rihan issued the order to freeze Mamduh Ismail's assets on Thursday.
Egypt's official Mena news agency said initial results of an investigation into the shipwreck blamed Ismail and five others for "serious violations that led to the sinking of the ship and deaths of more than 1,000 people".
The violations included disregard for safety regulations and tampering with inspections, said the agency.
Ismail, an MP, left Egypt for England shortly after the ferry disaster - despite an ongoing investigation into the sinking of his 36-year-old ship.
The ship was sailing from the Saudi Arabian port of Duba.
Most of the passengers were Egyptian itinerant workers, some of whom were bringing months if not years' worth of savings back home.
Egypt has said it will ask Britain to extradite Ismail should the investigation implicate him.
The Egyptian parliament lifted Ismail's immunity as a MP earlier this year. This means he can be questioned in connection with the charges.