Egyptian military prosecutors ordered a former anti-corruption chief detained for 15 days for questioning over allegations that he had threatened to publish documents damning the state, the official news agency Mena reported.
Hisham Genena, who had helped to run the election campaign of a potential challenger to President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi in a March election, was taken from his home by police on Tuesday morning to the military prosecutors' office, his family said.
"The military prosecution has decided to detain the former head of the Central Auditing Organization, Judge Hisham Genena, for 15 days for investigation," the Mena report said.
It said Mr Genena was being investigated over comments he had allegedly made that former military chief-of-staff Sami Anan possessed documents damning the state and its leadership.
Mr Genena had run Mr Anan's short-lived election campaign before the latter was detained last month and accused by the army of running for office without permission, bringing his presidential bid to a halt.
Amnesty International has criticised Mr Genena's detention.
"The arbitrary arrest of Hisham Genena and his referral to the Office of the Military Prosecution show a blatant disregard for the rights to freedom of expression and the right to public participation," Amnesty International's North Africa branch said in a message on Twitter.
The presidential election is set to be held at the end of March. Mr AL Sisi is set to win a second four-year term.
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