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Global insurance group refuses “threatened” Egyptian policemen life insurance A leading insurance group has refused to offer Egyptian officers and the Ministry of Interior's leading figures life insurance
ACE Group, a leading global insurance organisation, has refused to offer Egyptian officers and the Ministry of Interior's leading figures life insurance, saying policemen in Egypt have been targeted since the January 25 Revolution. ACE, whose Middle East headquarters is based in Egypt, believes Egyptian policemen face constant life threats since the 18-day revolt that saw the relationship between the police and society take a severe turn for the worse. Policemen in Egypt reportedly were disgruntled over the company's decision, with some of them regarding it a “shocking insult”. Ahram Online learnt that quite a few officers had filed a lawsuit against ACE for its controversial decision. A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he was subject to a similar situation a couple of days ago. “I went to one of the insurance companies in Nasr City, Cairo, to sign a life insurance offer for one of my family members,” he said. “But surprisingly, the company's officials turned me down because I'm an Egyptian officer. “There is a decision that was made by the company's headquarters in Europe to deny Egyptian policemen and their families because of the threat they have been facing since the uprising.” In the early days of the January 25 Revolution, policemen used live rounds against peaceful protesters, killing and injuring hundreds of them. The police forces later withdrew from the streets after failing to nip the revolt in the bud, leaving a chronic security vacuum across the country. It is even believed that some policemen were involved in the organised lawlessness that was pervasive early in the revolution, which prompted civilians to form makeshift checkpoints in order to protect their families and properties. There was already no love lost between the police and ordinary citizens before the revolution. Under former Minister of Interior Habib El-Adly, the ministry used to cover up torture routinely practiced by the police and security forces. A number of Egyptians died because of police brutality. Khaled Said, who according to eyewitnesses was killed in Alexandria at the hands of two policemen, is believed to be one of the reasons behind the revolution that forced Hosni Mubarak from power on 11 February.
