Egypt arrests Islamist alleging contacts with outlawed group

CAIRO – Egyptian security officials say police have arrested a senior Islamist politician over allegations that he had contacts with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

They say Abdel-Monaim Abu El-Fetouh was arrested at his home in a Cairo suburb Wednesday soon after his return from a trip to London.

The officials say five senior officials of Abu El-Fetouh’s Strong Egypt party were also arrested. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Abu El-Fetouh was a longtime member of the Brotherhood, but quit the Islamist group years ago. He ran for president in the 2012 election won by the Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by Egypt’s military the following year.

Authorities have since outlawed the Brotherhood and jailed thousands of the group’s supporters.