Prosecutor General Talaat Abdallah has submitted his resignation to the State Judicial Council (SJC).
The SJC said they would announce on Sunday whether or not they would accept his resignation, the Turkish Anadolu news agency reported late Monday evening.
Abdallah's resignation comes hours after prosecutors and judges declared that their meeting with him earlier in the afternoon was a failure, calling for an open-ended sit-in at the Supreme Court.
Abdallah had allegedly said that he would address their call for his resignation after the referendum, reported state-run news portal Al-Ahram. However, judicial sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Abdallah had promised to resign if the president allows him to.
Earlier in the day, clashes erupted in front of the High Court building in Cairo after security forces prevented prosecutors from entering the building.
About 600 prosecutors were protesting to demand Abdallah’s dismissal in light of what they say are his attempts to influence prosecutors investigating the Ettehadiya Palace clashes earlier this month.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in Assiut decided to suspend work Monday in order to increase pressure against Abdallah, who they say was interfering in the Public Prosecution’s affairs for political ends.
Assiut prosecutors also announced they would participate in a High Court sit-in scheduled for Tuesday.
North Assiut Attorney General Mohamed Hossam said that appointing Abdallah as the prosecutor general is a violation of both the 1971 Constitution and the new draft constitution now under referendum. Both constitutions state that the Supreme Judicial Council nominates three candidates for prosecutor general, one of whom is chosen by the president.
President Mohamed Morsy appointed Abdallah in November to succeed former Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud. Abdallah enraged the judiciary when he relocated prosecutor Mostafa Khater to Beni Suef, then rescinded his decision. Khater had been investigating the violent clashes that occurred between Morsy’s supporters and opposition forces in front of the presidential palace two weeks ago.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
