Reviewing a report on the amendments before MPs in a plenary session on Tuesday morning, Ahmed El-Awadi — the chairman of the House’s Defence and National Security Committee — said that “the new amendments serve Egypt’s general interests and national security in a way that will help the giant apparatus perform its duties and roles in the best way.”

“The amendments come to go in line with modern and new developments and changes,” he said, adding that “the amendments are related to the organisational structure of the Egyptian General Intelligence, toughening penalties on those that falsely claim they are intelligence officers and providing intelligence individuals with greater training and rehabilitation.”

Al-Awadi also revealed that the amendments give the general Egyptian intelligence the right to set up all kinds of companies, buy shares in existing or new companies, and also allow intelligence individuals to be appointed as chairpersons or members of the boards of companies, however, only upon the approval of the chief of intelligence.

The amendments to the two intelligence laws were submitted to the House on Sunday and discussed and approved by the Defence and National Security Committee on Monday.

Parliament Speaker Hanafy Gebaly said the amendments to the two intelligence laws will be up for a final vote in a later plenary session.