By Tamim Elyan
CAIRO: Minister of Interior Mansour El-Essawy said in statements to the Middle East News Agency that he will issue the decision to discharge officers accused of killing protesters according to the law.
El-Essawy said that the decision to discharge the officers is now in the hands of the interior ministry that will take the necessary legal procedures.
“All decisions that were and will be issued from the ministry are in line with the law and I am ready to resign if a decision comes out of the ministry without my consent,” El-Essawy said.
His statements come in response to Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s speech Saturday in which he said that the officers will be discharged immediately.
El-Essawy said that a reshuffling of police officers will take place next Wednesday.
The General Coalition for Police Officers criticized Sharaf’s announcement and said that investigations are not over yet to justify the discharged of these officers.
“Most of the 362 officers affected by the decisions were based in police stations which were attacked during the uprising by armed protesters who wanted to steal weapons and free prisoners. They had to respond. But the snipers who killed protesters in Tahrir are still free,” said Tareq Serry, spokesman of the coalition.
“They should pressure police leaderships to get information about these snipers; the current Cabinet lacks a clear and systematic policy and only reacts to satisfy protesters,” he added.
The coalition is set to organize a protest on Friday against Sharaf’s decisions.
