Prosecutors ordered a four-day detention for the head of the Al-Azhar University student dormitories, Mohamed Reda, pending investigations into his role in the food poisoning of 561 students, who became ill after eating a meal in the student cafeteria.
The incident triggered protests on Tuesday by Al-Azhar students who demanded the dismissal of university president Osama al-Abd, which the Al-Azhar grand sheikh agreed to the next day.
Prosecutors summoned Abd and five other university officials for investigation, while three more involved in the incident were released.
The Al-Azhar Supreme Council has called for immediate elections to choose another university president within the next two weeks. The council also replaced the director general of the dormitories, the food and beverage manager and the director of the girls' dorms. The council referred all those who may have played a role in the poisoning incident to investigation.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
