Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has issued a presidential decree that stated the early retirement of general intelligence officers. According to the presidential decree No 281 for the years 2016 published in the official newspaper, seventeen Egyptian intelligence officials were forced into early retirement, reported the Middle East Monitor.
The official newspaper reported that Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi issued the orders against the deputy directors of the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) “based on their requests”.
The presidential decree included the names of the 17 intelligence officials, it did not provide details as to why they requested early retirement. He also issued another decree No 282 that issue the job transfer of some employees in the general intelligence to other departments.
This is not the first time that Al-Sisi has retired general intelligence officials since he assumed power as a president in June 2014.
In July 2014, 14 GID deputies were retired purportedly “based on their requests”; and then the Egyptian presidency has announced the retirement of the head of General Intelligence Mohamed Farid el-Tohamy, on December 21, 2014.
In 2015, Al-Sisi issued a decree that transfer 19 officials from their positions in the general intelligence department to work in civil ministries. On June 19, 2015 al-Sisi issued a decree forcing a number of deputies from the general intelligence body into retirement. Before the end of 2015, another 13 general intelligence officials were forced to retirement, based on a presidential decree.
It seems that the relation between Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the general intelligence service is surrounded by suspicions and doubts. As a result, al-Sisi is keen to purge a number of officials working in this sensitive institution or to move them from their positions every now and then. In a previous audio leak claimed to be for the head of al-Sisi’s office, Abbas Kamel, he said that “There is no hope in the general intelligence.”
