Egypt’s Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek issued on Monday a media gag order on investigations conducted by state prosecution in a bribery case involving council officials.

In an official statement, Sadek ordered the gag for all broadcast media, as well as newspapers, magazines, and news websites until investigations are concluded.

The decision by the top prosecutor was announced shortly after a defendant in the case, former Secretary-General of Egypt's State Council Wael Shalaby, committed suicide while in custody on Monday.

Shalaby, who resigned from his post on Saturday, had been arrested on Sunday and given a 44-day detention pending investigation on corruption charges.

The order also comes days after another defendant in the case, procurement manager at the State Council Gamal El-Laban, was charged with receiving bribes worth millions of Egyptian pounds.