Beheira – The public prosecutor in Damanhour brought four local employees into custody and ordered the arrest of a police officer for their involvement in the death of a farmer in the village of Minyat Attiya. Witnesses said the officer quarreled with the victim who objected to the demolition of his house. The officer then slapped the man on the face, knocking him down, and then ordered the bulldozer to begin its work, which caused the walls of the building to collapse on the man, immediately killing him. The investigation was carried out by Ali Abdel, head of the prosecution. The public prosecutor was also informed.
The chief of Damanhour’s police department received notification from a local unit that a demolition order had been issued by the president of a local council regarding a house owned by Ramzi Mohamed el-Sharqawi, a 55-year-old farmer from Minyat Attiya. The committee tasked with the demolition requested a police escort for the job. Major Mohamed Rushdi Younis, an investigations office at the department, was chosen to lead the unit.
The owner of the house died while the house was being demolished, and his family accused the police force of killing him. A report on the incident was recorded and sent to the head of the Giza Security Directorate.
Eyewitnesses told the prosecution that the demolition unit escorted by the police arrived at the house, where the victim tried to prevent them from demolishing his house. The officer began insulting the man and told him to move out of the way. As the situation developed, the two began quarreling, and the officer slapped the farmer, who fell to the ground. Immediately after, the officer ordered the driver to resume the demolition, which caused the walls to collapse on the man who was still lying on the floor.
The prosecution summoned the four employees; Ibrahim Amer, Mohamed Madi, Abdel Daiem and Rafiq el-Sayyid, and charged them with accidental homicide. The driver, Mohamed Mohamed Ahmed Eid has been charged with murder. An arrest warrant for the police officer has also been issued.
The investigations were supervised by Yasser Zaki, attorney general of Central Damanhour.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
