BAGHDAD, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Saddam Hussein and some of his top aides, who have been under detention of the US-led coalition, were handed over to Iraqi legal custody on Wednesday, just two days after power handover to the interim Iraqi government.

    "Today at 10:15 a.m. (0615 GMT) the Republic of Iraq assumed legal custody of Saddam Hussein," said a statement from interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's office.

    But Saddam would remain in the physical custody of U.S. forces after the handover.

    Except for Saddam, the first group of the Iraqi former officials delivered Wednesday included Tariq Aziz, former prime minister, AliHassan Al Majeed, known as "chemical Ali" who was blamed for using chemical weapons against the Kurds in Halabcha.

    Also among the officials were Taha Yassin Ramadan, vice president and a close aide for Saddam; Sultan Hashem Ahmed, defence minister, Abed Hamid Mahmoud, presidential secretary; Aziz Saleh al-Numan, head of the former ruling Baath party for western Baghdad; Mohammed Hamza al-Zubaidi, former member of the Revolutionary Command Council; Kamal Mustafa Abdullah, commander of the elite Republican Guards; Watban Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti, presidential adviser and half-brother of Saddam; Barzan Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti, presidential adviser and also half-brother; Sabir Abdul Aziz al-Douri, military intelligence chief and mayor of Baghdad.

    Salim al Chalabi, chairman of the Iraqi special court, said Wednesday that Saddam looked shaky when the handover procedures completed and he was informed of his legal rights.

    Saddam wanted to ask some questions, but he was informed that he could do so when he is in court Thursday, al Chalabi said.

    It is expected that Saddam would be officially accused of committing crimes against humanity for a 1988 gas massacre of Kurds, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Enditem