CAIRO, Jan 14 (Aswat Masriya) - A 6 October court acquitted on Wednesday former Presidential Spokesman Yasser Ali of hiding former Prime Minister Hisham Qandil.

Ali was referred to six months in prison for assisting Qandil in escaping and evading judicial prosecution in November 2014.

The former spokesperson, who was appointed by ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2012, was also charged with joining the "terrorist" Muslim Brotherhood organisation.

Ali was arrested on December 31, 2013. He served as the coordinator of Mursi's presidential campaign in 2012, and was appointed as the official spokesperson for the presidency until February 2013. He was later appointed head of the Egyptian Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC).

The former spokesman resigned on June 21, 2014, citing the country's "critical situation" as the reason for his resignation.

He was referred to criminal court on August 23 along with 12 other co-defendants.