CAIRO, May 12 (UPI) -- The lawyer for Hosni Mubarak said a newspaper interview with the former Egyptian president outside a courthouse was fabricated.
Mubarak reportedly was asked by the Egyptian newspaper al-Watan Sunday to comment on President Mohamed Morsi's performance and was quoted as saying: "I do not want to speak on this subject, but in the end, he is a new president carrying out weighty missions for the first time, we shouldn't judge him now."
However, Mubarak's lawyer, Farid el-Deeb, told Ahram Online the alleged interview was a fabrication.
"The whole interview is a lie; I talked to the president [Hosni Mubarak] and he affirmed he never spoke to the journalist." The lawyer also questioned the legitimacy of the photos taken by the journalist, saying there are more than 5,000 similar photos in circulation.
The al-Watan newspaper claimed it was the first interview Mubarak gave since his ouster from power.
He reportedly said he was saddened by Egypt's poor economic state and was concerned by the country's possible agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan to support the economy.
"I am afraid for the country and the International Monetary Fund loan, because the conditions are very difficult, and they represent a major threat to the Egyptian economy, later this will turn on the poor citizen and the low-income class," Mubarak said.
The newspaper noted medical staff who accompanied the former president said his medical condition --particularly his psychological condition -- was better than during his previous court appearances.
Mubarak said he hoped "history will judge and I am still certain that the coming generations will view me fairly."
At Saturday's retrial, Judge Mahmoud al-Rashidi adjourned the hearing until June 8. Mubarak was granted a retrial for complicity in the deaths of demonstrators and corruption charges. He was sentenced to life in prison.
