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Egyptian police launch campaign to improve image

Egypt's police force and Interior Ministry are trying to build goodwill among the populace through charity, a move some critics say is politically motivated.
A policeman smokes cigarette after the trial of Muslim brotherhood leaders in Cairo, April 11, 2015. An Egyptian court sentenced Mohamed Badie, the leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and 13 other senior members of the group to death for inciting chaos and violence, a judge said in a televised session on Saturday. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RTR4WWAS
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CAIRO — Citing the case of a poor woman who offered her son as collateral for a refrigerator, an Egyptian police captain has called for his fellow officers to help pay off the debts of impoverished people who have defaulted on loans. The Interior Ministry, which expressed support for the initiative and urged cooperation with police, released 41 defaulters from prison July 15.

The two groups say they are cooperating solely to bring relief to the nation's poor, though some doubters suspect political motives. 

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