Sisi meets interior minister over Cairo police shooting
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met with interior minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar and his aides on Wednesday after a low-ranking policeman shot dead a street vendor in a dispute in New Cairo on Tuesday.
According to presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef, al-Sisi stressed the importance of holding accountable those who commit wrongdoings, whether policemen or citizens, and prosecute them according to the law.
He stressed, however, that although some “irresponsible acts” are committed by members of the police force, which he described as a “patriotic institution,” policeman have made many sacrifices in protecting the country and its citizens.
Youssef said that the meeting included discussions about proposed legal amendments to the police law, which are meant to affirm the importance of maintaining human rights standards and committing to fairness and transparency.
El-Sisi called for a prompt finalisation of the necessary legal procedures to approve the draft amendments and present them to parliament.
The president also stressed the importance of raising police awareness about the necessity of preserving security and safety, citizens’ rights, and the proper treatment and service of citizens.
Youssef said that al-Sisi also affirmed the importance of being aware of attempts to undermine “national institutions” and disrupt the relationship between citizens and security apparatuses to cause strife and destabilise the country.
The spokesman said that al-Sisi asserted that Egypt and its people appreciate the sacrifices and efforts made by “honourable policemen” who work on achieving stability and security for the country and the nation and refuse any “individual violations” against citizens by police.
On Wednesday, Egypt’s prosecution ordered the four-day detention for the policeman accused of killing a street vendor on Tuesday.
The policeman – identified as El-Sayed Zeinhom Abdel-Razek – shot three people in New Cairo following a street quarrel, killing one and injuring the other two.
According to investigations conducted by the prosecution, three low-ranking policemen – the shooter, who is currently in custody, and his two peers, who are still at large – were regular customers of the vendor, who sold refreshments near the upper-middle class residential compound of El-Rehab on the outskirts of Cairo.
Investigations indicate that the victim refused to serve the policemen for free, causing a verbal dispute that led to Abdel-Razek firing shots.
The victim suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, the prosecution said.
Following the incident, interior minister Abdel-Ghaffar said in statements, according to the state-owned MENA agency, that any member of the police force who commits wrongdoings is referred directly to investigative bodies, stressing that any mistakes by individual policemen should not tarnish the “efforts and sacrifices” made by all policemen.
source: Ahram Online
