Egypt's prosecutor general froze on Thursday the activities of an investigation panel sponsored by deposed president Mohamed Morsi to probe crimes committed during the January 25 Revolution and its aftermath.

The "Revolution Protection Prosecution" was formed by ousted president Morsi late in 2012 to look into alleged political crimes committed since the 25 January 2011 uprising until he took office in June 2012. The move came in the immediate wake of a controversial constitutional decree Morsi issued granting himself sweeping powers and bypassing the judiciary. The investigation panel was seen at the time as an attempt to quell massive street dissent.

Its remit included the killings of protesters as well as political corruption under the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak, who was swept away by the 2011 revolt.

"The public prosecutor is mulling abolishing the Revolution Protection Prosecution altogether, citing impracticability of having a superior body overseeing other prosecutions," judicial sources said.