Steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz, one of the most prominent politicians during the era of former president Hosni Mubarak, appealed on Tuesday his elimination from running in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Ezz's lawyer Mohamed Hammouda lodged the appeal before the administrative court. "Ahmed Ezz met all the conditions required for candidacy," the complaint read.
Ezz had applied to run for elections on February 8 in Menoufia, north of Cairo. On Sunday, a list with names of preliminarily approved candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections was released.
Ten candidates have been approved in Menoufia, but Ezz was not among them.
A judicial source said Ezz's application was rejected for not having a bank account to manage campaign expenses and advertising and for not including the financial disclosure of one of his two wives.
For a period of five days, starting on Wednesday, the court will issue its decisions on the appeals presented by rejected candidates.
Ezz was one of the main politicians on the scene towards the end of Mubarak's 30-year rule. He was a leader in the now defunct National Democratic Party, the ruling party under Mubarak.
Following the 2011 uprising, Ezz was arrested and faced charges in a number of court cases. He was handed several prison sentences but they have since been overturned by Egypt's Court of Cassation.
Ezz was released in August after being ordered to pay on installments hundreds of millions of pounds as a steel monopoly fine.
The upcoming parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin in March, with the first phase taking place on March 22 and 23 and the second phase running from April 26 to 27.
