Individual Corruption

The US Department of State 2010 reports that petty corruption in the police force is pervasive, especially below senior levels. Police are known to demand bribes and to violently abuse prisoners and detainees. The government has prosecuted some of the police officers involved in corruption and abuse. According to the CIPE & Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies Egypt National Corruption Survey 2009, the traffic police and Ministry of Interior is perceived by citizens to be highly affected by corruption.

Business Corruption

According to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012, Egypt holds a competitive disadvantage concerning the reliability of its police services to protect companies from crime.

Companies should note that there are reports which question the reliability and integrity of the Egyptian police. For example, according to the Kefaya Movement 2006, companies are often forced by the police to hire guard services at exorbitant rates. Furthermore, it is reported that the department within the police that handles the implementation of judicial decisions is accustomed to taking bribes in exchange for treating a case partially.

Political Corruption

According to Global Integrity 2008, the police are subject to political interference. The police force is accused of being an instrument of the Mubarak government to suppress political opponents and ordinary citizens.

Impunity of the police is a persistent problem; Global Integrity 2008 reports that officers found guilty of corruption rapidly receive an administrative sentence issued by the disciplinary military council within the Ministry of Interior, which never exceeds suspension for 6 months. The council does not refer these violations and crimes to courts. In cases when legal suits against law enforcement officials appear in courts, the council rushes to pass a weak administrative ruling to preclude the sentence that would be passed by the ordinary court involving dismissal and imprisonment. Because a person cannot be judged twice for same crime, the corrupt officers receive the lowest sentence, i.e. an administrative sentence.

Allegations have been made by the Kefaya Movement 2006 that the former Minister of Interior, Habib el-Adli, took advantage of his position to illegally amass wealth. He allegedly purchased shops from detainees and even seized some of the detainees' properties. Days after the revolution in February 2011, el-Adli was arrested on suspicion of corruption.

Frequency

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012:
- Business executives give the reliability of Egyptian police services to enforce law and order a score of 3.9 on a 7-point scale (1 being 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 'can always be relied upon').

Transparency International: Bribe Payers Index 2008:
- Business executives give the police a score of 3.3 on a 5-point scale (1 being 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt').

The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2008:
- 6.8% of the companies surveyed identified crime, theft and disorder as major constraints to doing business.