At a Sunday press conference, Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim announced a host of major personnel changes within the ministry, including the promotion, transfer and dismissal of large numbers of police chiefs and officers.

At the conference, Assistant Interior Minister Magdi Ghoneim stated that a total of 3,800 police officers – accounting for some 10 per cent of the police officers within the ministry – would be subject to transfer. A total of 284 police officers, he added, would be promoted to the rank of general. 

In addition, according to Ghoneim, six minister's aids have been promoted, along with six security directors in the New Valley, Fayoum, Aswan, Matrouh, Sharqyia and Damietta governorates. A new director of the ministry's elections division, responsible for securing polling stations during elections, will also be appointed, he said.

Along with these changes, according to Ghoneim, 529 police major-generals were granted one-year extensions to their contracts, 262 were retired, and 192 terminated; 1,715 police brigadier-generals were granted one-year extensions to their contracts, while 25 retired voluntarily; and 383 police colonels were promoted to the rank of major-general, while nine voluntarily retired.

Changes affecting high-ranking officers will come into effect by the beginning of next month, said interior ministry officials, while the rest will be implemented on 9 August.

Ibrahim stressed that the ministry had taken into account the "social and psychological impact" that the changes would have on the police personnel in question and their families.