The European Union will freeze the assets of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and 18 people in his inner circle, including his wife and two sons, diplomats told AFP on Friday.

The sanctions, endorsed by envoys of the 27-nation bloc, are expected to be signed off by foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

The move follows a Cairo criminal court ruling which upheld a decision to freeze the assets of Mubarak and his family.

The EU list includes Mubarak, his wife Suzanne, his two sons Alaa and Gamal and their wives, as well as key former regime figures such as a former interior minister and a ruling party official, a diplomat said.

Mubarak, who resigned on February 11 following weeks of protests, is accused of amassing a fortune during his 30-year rule. One of his advisers, however, has denied that he had garnered billions of dollars.