Egypt's parliament voted on Monday in favour of stripping independent MP and controversial TV anchor Tawfik Okasha of the right to attend 10 plenary sessions for insulting the House speaker.
Okasha will, however, be allowed to enter parliament and meet with colleagues in the House's Pharaonic lobby.
A report prepared by a special parliamentary committee found Okasha guilty of directing an insult to constitutional law professor and parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al in a plenary session on 22 February.
The committee said many MPs testified that Okasha showed disrespect for the speaker and disrupted old parliamentary rules and precedents during the session.
The committee said that video footage proves Okasha interrupted speaker Abdel-Al many times "in a very impolite way," telling him loudly that "you were not the right man for this post."
The committee originally decided that Okasha be banned from attending three plenary sessions only, but upon the request of many MPs, parliament voted in favour of stiffening the penalty.
Abdel-Al also announced in Monday's morning session that another special committee had been formed to take charge of questioning Okasha for hosting Israel's ambassador in Egypt Haim Koren and discussing sovereign and national security matters with him.
The committee will be led by judicial expert and independent MP Hassan Bassiouny.
Okasha's meeting with Israel's ambassador infuriated the majority of MPs, with old-time Nasserist MP Kamal Ahmed hitting Okasha with his shoe during parliament's session on Sunday morning.
Although many MPs condemned Ahmed for chastising Okasha in "a very vulgar way," they said they would not forgive Okasha and that if the special committee decided to strip him of his parliamentary membership they would not hesitate in voting for it.
Okasha is also accused of forging his PhD certificate. During the registeration session fior new MPs, Okasha wrote down he earned a PhD in management of mass communication institutions from the University of Lakewood Bradenton in the US state of Florida.
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