Prosecutor General Judge Talaat Abdallah launched on Tuesday a legal challenge against the decision to release former Shura Council Speaker Safwat al-Sherif on bail of 50,000 pounds after being detained since April 2011 on charges of illicit profiteering.

A Cairo criminal court released al-Sherif on Tuesday morning on bail for exceeding the 18-month legal detention period.

The prosecutor general's decision came in light of a memorandum the general prosecution received from the Illicit Gains Authority to appeal the decision to release al-Sherif, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

The prosecution's appeal stopped al-sherif's release procedures, Gameel Saeed, al-Sherif's attorney, has told Aswat Masriya.

Cairo Court of Appeals is expected on Wednesday to set a date for an urgent session at a Cairo criminal court to look into the prosecution's appeal.