CAIRO, Oct 7 (Aswat Masriya) - The supreme administrative court rejected on Wednesday an appeal by businessman Ahmed Ezz that challenged his exclusion from running in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The steel tycoon was excluded from the race in September, making it the second time for the once prominent politician during the era of former president Hosni Mubarak to be excluded. 

He had applied to run for a seat in parliament last February, before the elections were postponed.

Towards the end of Mubarak's 30-year-rule, Ezz had taken centre stage because of his political and business activities. 

He once served as head of the policies secretariate in the now defunct National Democratic Party, the ruling party under Mubarak.

Ezz was arrested after the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak. Charges were brought against him in five different court cases.

He was handed several prison sentences which were overturned by Egypt's Court of Cassation. 

He was released in August 2014 after being ordered to pay hundreds of millions of pounds in fines for monopolistic practices.  

Last month, a court upheld a decision to seize the assets of Ezz and his family pending the completion of an investigation into the sources of his wealth. 

The elections are scheduled to begin in October, with the first phase taking place from 17, 18 and 19 October and the second phase running from 21, 22 and 23 November.