Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb said government has no links to ban of screening of Ahl Iskinderiya series.
In an interview on the privately-owned channel Dream 2, Mehleb said he did not instruct banning the series, despite his rejection of it. He explained that he opposed the content of the series which tackles corruption of the police force under his supervision, arguing there has been an improvement of relations between people and police.
Mehleb said he believes in freedom of expression and media, but as an official he believes also in his role to protect the society.
Privately-owned channels earlier stepped back from showing the series by the scenarist Belal Fadl, who described this as a kind of arbitrariness that did not occur under rule of toppled President Hosni Mubarak.
He added that no concrete reasons exist to prevent showing the series as the censor approved the shooting.
Fadl also criticized preventing the series from showing even on the state TV, which supposedly encourages express of opinions and supports freedom of expression as long as it does not break any laws.
Fadl is known for his anti-Mubarak stances as well as opposition to the following regimes including the Muslim Brotherhood and the military.
Edited translation from MENA
