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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 - 31 May 2000 Issue No. 483 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 - 31 May 2000 Issue No. 483
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The Barrada assault
By Ihab El-Sonbati *
The public prosecutor's decision to place investigation into the assault on Ahmed Barrada, the squash champion, on hold may have given rise to rumours, and it is necessary to clarify the procedures being undertaken.
The public prosecutor's office, according to the Constitution, serves justice by reviewing all evidence connected with a case. A case need not be terminated at any fixed time; nor must the offender be apprehended. The public prosecutor's office is accountable only for its compliance with the demands of justice and due process. If it fails to identify a culprit, the case is referred to back to the police. If they also fail to identify the culprit, the prosecution places the case on hold, while requesting that the police remain vigilant until an arrest can occur.
If the police order the arrest of an individual, this measure must be supported by an investigation and evidence, at which point the public prosecution issues an arrest warrant.
A decision to arrest a suspect on the basis of police reports remains incomplete until investigation procedures are completed, however. The prosecution often orders a suspect's release if the case does not appear to conform to police reports.
While we appreciate the police's role in combating crime and arresting offenders, such a role does not affect the public prosecution's dedication to fairness in handling cases like that of the attack on Ahmed Barrada.
The public should be confident that the public prosecutor's office will under no circumstance compromise its principles regarding the presumption of innocence.
* This week's Soapbox speaker is a district prosecutor.
