A Cairo criminal court on Monday approved a decision to release former Housing Minister Ahmed al-Maghraby who has been detained pending an investigation over claims he squandered public money while in office.

Maghraby, who was accused of illegally seizing state-owned lands worth 25 million Egyptian pounds under Hosni Mubarak's government, was acquitted in April but remained in custody after a court ordered his retrial.

A court had initially sentenced him to five years in prison for profiteering before he was finally cleared of the charges.