Nazif headed the cabinet for five years until January 29 this year when his government was dissolved by Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt's former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif is set to face a criminal trial on charges of corruption, along with ministers who helmed interior and finance departments in the deposed Hosni Mubarak administration, authorities said today.
Nazif headed the cabinet for five years until January 29 this year when his government was dissolved by Mubarak in the face of a mass uprising against his regime.
Officials said Nazif will stand trial in criminal court on charges of corruption and several other officials, including former minister of finance Youssef Boutros Ghali and former minister of interior Habib Al Adly, will also face court on similar charges, Al Arabiya reported.
The arrest of Nazif was announced after Mubarak and his sons were summoned by the prosecutor for questioning.
The announcement came a day after a court ordered that the former ruling National Democratic Party be dissolved and its assets seized and transferred to the government.
Mubarak along with his two sons Gamal and Alaa -- all under detention -- is also being probed on charges of corruption and for ordering the use of force against peaceful protesters.
The trial is part of a series of measures initiated by the military-led government to meet the demands of Egypt's pro-democracy movement, and to ultimately lead to a transition to a democratic government.
The fresh announcement is certain to go down well with Egypt's pro-democracy activists, who have argued that perpetrators of financial irregularities and corruption in the Mubarak regime must be brought to trial.
Nazif, the channel said, will be in custody for 15 days as part of an investigation into the squandering of public funds.
It quoted its sources as saying that assets of several former officials and ministers, including Ghali and a much-hated Al-adly, have been frozen.
Al-adly is already facing court on charges of laundering money. He will now face additional charges of making "illicit gains" even as prosecutors investigate whether he would be referred to the criminal court for ordering the shooting of anti-regime protesters.
The latest developments have come after Egyptians gathered at Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square again to demand for the trial of Mubarak and leading figures of his regime.
Egypt's popular January 25 revolution overthrew the powerful Mubarak regime in February this year, paving the way for a transition government led by the military that promised to conduct free and fair elections.
Egyptians voted last month in a referendum to approve changes in the constitution that among other things put a limit to the number of terms a president can run for.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}