CAIRO — Citing the case of a poor woman who offered her son as collateral for a refrigerator, an Egyptian police captain has called for his fellow officers to help pay off the debts of impoverished people who have defaulted on loans. The Interior Ministry, which expressed support for the initiative and urged cooperation with police, released 41 defaulters from prison July 15.
The two groups say they are cooperating solely to bring relief to the nation's poor, though some doubters suspect political motives.