Egypt to sack 700 policemen over killing of protesters

By IANS,

Cairo : At least 700 police officers in Egypt would be removed from their jobs over the killing of protesters during the revolution that led to the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak, a media report said.


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Interior Minister Mansour Essawy said 505 generals and 164 officers would end their service Aug 1, BBC reported.

Among those dismissed are 10 of the interior minister’s top assistants, 82 colonels, and 82 brigadiers, the report said.

Egyptian state TV said 37 of the officers face charges of killing protesters.

The military, meanwhile, said polls set for September would be delayed.

“It has been decided to hold (parliamentary elections) in October or November,” an official from the interim ruling military council told Mena news agency.

Many new political parties called for the polls to be delayed so that they can compete against better organised and more powerful opposition groups, notably the Muslim Brotherhood.

The military also said it would draft guidelines for selecting the 100-member assembly that will write a new Egyptian constitution.

Over 800 protesters were killed during the 18-day revolt that forced president Hosni Mubarak to quit Feb 11.

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