* Says hopes will not become scapegoat
* Expects courts to clear his name
By Andrew Hammond
CAIRO, Feb 14 (Reuters) - An Egyptian businessman, who was a top official in Hosni Mubarak's party and now being investigated for corruption, praised youth activists who ousted the president and said the old ruling party could be revived.
Ahmed Ezz, who denied charges of misusing public money, told Al Arabiya television that the National Democratic Party (NDP) would remain a major player in Egyptian politics and said he had no regrets over things he did in public life.
"This great push that happened recently was welcomed by the whole of Egypt and went further than expected," Ezz, who is chairman of Ezz Steel <ESRS.CA>, told Al Arabiya in his first interview since he quit.
"I must salute the youth. I didn't have a chance to meet the leaders there (in Tahrir Square). I hope I have a chance to some time. Personally I was not expecting the revolution at all."
Ezz, who quit the party during the protests that erupted on Jan. 25, was among the top targets for demonstrators driven by complaints about poverty, corruption and political repression. His resignation was met with cheers.
"It's difficult to keep the NDP out of political life since it's very widespread. It needs to renew itself from the inside," he said.
The Cairo headquarters of the NDP, a pillar of Mubarak's power, is now a burned out shell. Other party buildings around the country were torched after police tried to crush protests.
Ezz said his rise through the party's ranks was not linked to his friendship with Mubarak's son Gamal, who was head of the policy secretariat. Ezz was head of its organisation committee.
He said the party was not responsible for irregularities in last year's parliamentary elections, widely seen as the most rigged ever under Mubarak's 30-year rule.
"The state is responsible for managing elections not the party," he said, adding he hoped he would not become a scapegoat for mistakes of executives or politicians close to Mubarak.
"I am not the engineer of these elections ... I have nothing at all to do with the victory or otherwise of opposition candidates or the majority in the elections," he said, adding he was responsible only for choosing candidates.
He said he remained a member of the party.
As Mubarak's rule crumbled after Jan. 25, Ezz and four government ministers were charged last week with abusing their positions to enrich themselves and misusing public money.
The announcement of the investigations were seen as concessions to a public angry over corruption within the ruling elite.
Ezz said he was confident the courts would clear his name.
State news agency MENA said last week Ezz had been formally charged with illegally taking control of state-owned al-Dekheila Steel which then supplied his Ezz Steel firm with steel at reduced prices, causing al-Dekheila heavy losses. (Reporting by Andrew Hammond; editing by Myra MacDonald)
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