A Giza Criminal court upheld on Wednesday a decision by Egypt’s prosecutor-general to seize the funds of Menoufiya governor Hesham Abdel-Baset, who is facing trial over corruption charges.

Abdel-Baset was arrested in January for purportedly receiving an EGP 2 million (around $113,000) bribe from a businessman in return for a plot of land.

The former governor challenged in court the decision by prosecutor-general Nabil Sadek to seize Abdel-Baset and his family’s funds.

Abdel-Baset's arrest was initially announced by Egypt’s Administrative Control Authority (ACA), which is responsible for enforcing laws and regulations within state bodies, including identifying possible cases of corruption and referring them to the prosecution.