Acting Prosecutor-General Ali Omran on Sunday ordered a ban on publishing any news over current investigations into bribery of a number of senior Agriculture Ministry officials.

A decision by the chief prosecutor included banning the publication of any reports until the end of the probe and the announcement of its results.

The decision made an exception for publishing the statements, to be issued by the office of the Prosecutor-General.

The ban includes all media outlets, including newspapers, daily and weekly bulletins, as well as online journalism.

According to a judiciary source, the decision came to guarantee the safety of investigations and judicial procedures while investigating the case.