Mubarak denies ordering Egyptian protesters shot, says lawyer

Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is "very sad and sorry" over accusations that he ordered live ammunition be fired on protesters during an uprising that toppled his regime, his attorney said on Monday.

Attorney Farid El Deeb said the former strongman was "very sad and sorry because he did not imagine such accusations, especially as he believes that they are all false".

The 83-year-old former leader is in "very bad health," suffering from a serious heart problem and a resurgence of colon cancer, El Deeb told CNN in his first interview since the Mubarak family hired him in April.

"He doesn't watch TV or anything else," El Deeb said. "They ban him from doing so to avoid more psychological pain. He speaks very little and suppresses a lot of his pain."

Mubarak faces criminal charges, including using his political position to acquire funds illegally and potentially capital charges of killing protesters.

His lawyer denied that Mubarak gave order to use force or live ammunition against demonstrators who were calling for removal of his three-decade long rule.   "Mubarak had expressed his sorrow and had ordered a committee to investigate how they happened," he said.

More than 800 people lost their lives during Egypt's 18-day revolution, including about 50 police. "We still need to discover who shot the policemen who were killed during the revolution," El Deeb said.

El Deeb denied that Mubarak, his family and friends amassed fortunes at the expense of the Egyptian people. Mubarak's personal wealth is only about six million Egyptian pounds -- about $1 million -- "which he saved from working for 62 years," he said.

"He does not own anything else in Egypt or outside of Egypt," he said. "He does not own a single dollar abroad."