CAIRO: A-pro government Egyptian presenter has been released from police custody on bail after being detained for 24-hours amid claims he insulted police.
Host Khairy Ramadan, who presents a daily talk show on state television, was released on Monday after paying 10,000 Egyptian pounds in bail.
He was detained for four days of questioning after a complaint was filed against him by the Ministry of Interior for allegedly defaming the police.
Ramadan was accused of publishing "false news" and “insulting the police institution and a police officer” in one of his episodes, during which he was arguing that policemen in Egypt earn relatively paid low salaries.
He showed the pay check of a colonel in the police, showing he received a monthly net salary of LE4,631, less than $300.
He also said he had spoken to the wife of a police officer who was struggling to get by financially.
Ramadan argued that it was not fair for policemen to be paid so little, given that they put their lives in danger on a daily basis to uphold the law.
Rasha Kamel , who heads the Association of Police Officers’ Wives, described Ramadan’s remarks about the financial status of policemen families as “poison in honey,” adding that the TV host was being passive-aggressive and was destroying the spirit of police families, according to Al-Masry el-Youm newspaper.
TV host arrested for 'defaming' Egypt released on bail
TV host arrested for 'defaming' Egypt released on bail
