Egypt's Judges High Disciplinary Board upheld on Monday a ruling to retire former prosecutor-general Talaat Abdallah for alleged spying.

The Judges Disciplinary Board had initially issued the ruling on 28 June before Abdallah appealed the decision.

However, the board refused his appeal on Monday.

Abdallah, appointed by ousted president Mohamed Morsi, has been accused of placing bugging equipment in his office prior to arrival of the current prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat, who filed the case.

Morsi's appointment of Abdallah in Nonember of 2012 – replacing Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud, from the era of toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak – was condemned by judges who argued the move was illegal on the grounds that only the Supreme Judiciary Council had the authority to appoint the prosecutor-general.

Officials from Morsi's administration, including presidential staff, are on trial on several charges following his ouster last year. Morsi himself and many leaders and members of the

Muslim Brotherhood – from which he hails – are also on trial in separate cases including inciting murder and espionage.