Mubarak\'s judge should step down

Egyptian actor Tarek Lotfi The Egyptian actor Tarek Lotfi expressed his frustration over the cancellation of the shoot for his new series "al-Zabet wal Gallad" (The Cop and the Executor). Tarek said this series highlights the relationship between the police and the man-on-the-street, which he believed is one of the most controversial topics currently in Egyptian society following the revolution.
Describing the storyline and his role Tarek said he plays the role of a cop who works in a police station in the same neighbourhood where he live,adding: "he is a popular figure among the residents, while my younger brother, also a cop.  is the opposite -- an ill-mannered guy, who deals with people in a harsh manner"
"We wanted to introduce two very different personalities which reflect the diversity within the security apparatus in Egypt. We have the "good cop" who commits to his duty and deals with people respectfully, and the "bad cop", one of the reasons behind the rage which caused the revolution."
Tarek said that although the series could be very important during this time, the Voice of Cairo production company made a decision to stop filming, which he found frustrating.
Tarek stars in two other series expected to be broadcast during Ramadan, "Ward wa Shouk" (Flowers and Thistles), and "Ma'a Sabq al-Israr" (Premeditated).
Describing his role in Flowers and Thistles: "I play the character of a physician called Adel, who meets a girl who was injured in a car accident,  he falls in love with her sister, and helps them with problems they face with their stepmother," said Tarek.
"In Premeditated,  my role is a businessman who marries a woman played by [the actress] Ghada Abdelrazik. Following their marriage something happens which changes their lives completely, and I think the viewers will see me as a very different character from previous roles."
Tarek praised Mohammed Samy, the director of Flowers and Thistles, predicting he will be "one of the most prominent directors in Egypt."
Discussing the fierce competition expected between the many TV stars this Ramadan due to the huge number of dramas being prepared for broadcast this season, Tarek believes this proves that Egypt is still the capital of the TV series industry in the Middle East:  "the number is not out of the ordinary if you take into account that a lot of movie stars have switched over to TV drama due to the recent problems in the movie industry amid the political unrest in the country."
Arabstoday asked Tarek Lotfi about his opinion on the verdict in the trial of Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak, his sons and his security leaders: "I prefer not to comment on legal matters but when I heard the judge say that the investigations in this case were "sluggish", I felt that it was better for him to step down from judging it, than to issue a verdict he is not totally convinced of."
The Egyptian actor added: " I believe that there are too many hidden things that will be revealed over time about Mubarak's era and the incidents which took place during the days of the revolution.  Once they do, they would be a good source for drama!"
When asked whether he will cast his vote in the runoff round of the presidential elections or not, Tarek confirmed that he will vote, but in his opinion,  whoever wins these elections "shouldn't run again for presidency for a second fou ryears, as the next phase will require a different man from the two candidates who qualified for this runoff round".
Tarek has no concerns about the freedom of artists under either of the two candidates saying: "neither of them will be able to limit this freedom because it is linked to the Initial demands of the revolution; food, freedom and social justice.