Judges at the Cairo Criminal Court have passed on a public prosecutors' appeal against an earlier court decision to release former President Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt's ousted leader could be released pending trial over charges of illicit gains made during his 30-year rule over the country.
Judges, who made the decision "sensing embarrassment," instead referred the case to the Cairo Appeals Court.
That court must now name another judicial body to handle the prosecutors' appeal.
Mubarak had arrived by aircraft from Tora Prison at the Cairo Criminal Court held in the Police Academy to attend his latest session.
The court had been tasked with ruling on an appeal filed by the prosecution against Mubarak's release in an illegal gains case.
Tight security measeures were imposed around the Police Academy, while the court banned the media from entering the confidential session.
Amireya Appeals Court on Tuesday ordered the former president's release pending investigation into charges of illicit gains.
The Cairo Criminal court had last week ordered the release of Mubarak pending investigations into corruption and the premeditated murder of protesters during Egypt's 2011 revolution. Mubarak had challenged his detention after it exceeded the 18-month provisional period stated by Egyptian law.
Mubarak will remain in jail following a public prosecutor decision to detain him for 15 days pending investigations into alleged squandering of public money.
The former president is said to have used public money to renovate private buildings owned by his family.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
