The trial of a policeman accused of killing a driver in the Darb al-Ahmar neighborhood of Cairo has been adjourned to Monday in order to hear eyewitness testimony.
Cairo Criminal Court made the decision on Saturday, delaying by two days the trial of a police sergeant who shot Mohamed Ismail (aka Darbaka) in the head during a dispute over a transport fare.
The prosecution accused policeman Mostafa Abdel Hasib of deliberately murdering Darbaka during a quarrel.
The list of evidence against the accused includes the testimony of witnesses to the incident, as well as detailed confessions made by the accused himself. During interrogation, Abdel Hasib acknowledged that he used his gun to shoot the victim in the head.
Trial of policeman in Darb al-Ahmar shooting case adjourned to Monday
The evidence also includes reports by the Department of Forensic Medicine concerning the autopsy and the examination of the weapon used in the killing.
The officer told investigators he owned a shoe store in Omraneya, Giza, and was in Darb al-Ahmar to purchase merchandise for his business. He said he agreed with Darbaka to transport the cargo for him, but the two men then began to argue over the fare.
According to the policeman, Darbaka unloaded the goods again in defiance, at which point the policeman drew his gun and pointed it at Darbaka. The gun then went off accidentally, the policeman said.
However, Darbaka’s friends and family claim the policeman shot the victim because he objected to the latter's profanities.
The incident sparked strong anti-police sentiment in the local area, with protests immediately taking place outside the Cairo Security Directorate.
Senior security figures responded by visiting the victim's family and assuring them that the officer would be held accountable.
Following the incident, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged the Interior Ministry to change police regulations to prevent further violations by its personnel against civilians.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
