Former Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman, photographed in November 2010 (Creative Commons).

An Egyptian official who asked to remain unnamed told CNN that Suleiman had cancer and had traveled to Germany for medical reasons before heading to a Cleveland medical center on Monday.

Suleiman was the vice president under Hosni Mubarak and announced the president’s resignation in February 2011. He also served as the head of Egypt’s powerful General Intelligence Services for 18 years. 

“I think a lot of secrets will die with him,” the former Egyptian ambassador to the U.S., Nabil Fahmy, told The New York Times. “He had a unique ability of being in a very sensitive, often controversial position as head of intelligence but at the same time preserving the respect of people toward him. He was a professional.”

Under Suleiman’s leadership, the General Intelligence Services was widely accused of involvement in the torture of dissidents, The New York Times reported. He was also involved in the C.I.A.’s program of extraordinary rendition, in which terrorism suspects were sent to countries where they could be tortured. 

The unnamed source told CNN that his body has not been returned to Egypt yet, where a military funeral is expected to take place. 

Read more of Neon Tommy’s coverage on Egypt here.

Reach Executive Producer Agnus Dei Farrant here.