A Cairo criminal court released Safwat al-Sherif on bail of 50, 000 Egyptians pounds on Tuesday for exceeding the legal detention period which is 18 months.

The Mubarak-era parliament speaker has been detained since April 11, 2011, on charges of illicit profiteering whereas he was acquitted from complicity in killing protesters during the uprising. 

The Illicit Gains Authority had referred Sherif and his two sons to criminal court accusing them of illegally acquiring over 300 million Egyptian pounds and abusing power.