Mubarak-era chief prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud told local reporters on Saturday he reached an "amicable" agreement with President Mohammed Morsi, allowing him to retain his job, days after the country's leader ordered him to step down.

The president had ordered Mahmoud's dismissal in an apparent bid to appease public anger over the acquittals of former regime officials accused of orchestrating violence against protesters during last year's Arab Spring uprising.

Speaking after a meeting with Morsi, Vice President Mahmoud Mekki told reporters the president agreed to Mahmoud's retaining his post following a request from Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council.

Vatican ambassador

Egyptian law, however, protects the prosecutor general from being fired by the president. Morsi then attempted to reassign Mahmoud to the Vatican as the country's ambassador, an offer the prosecutor general refused.

"I remain in my post," Mahmoud said at the time. "According to the law, a judicial body cannot be dismissed by an executive authority."

Although Morsi's efforts to remove Mahmoud had public support, many feared the Islamist president was infringing on the judiciary.

Protests kick-off

Activists protested a court ruling on Friday acquitting the Mubarak-era officials accused of ordering a camel charge against demonstrators last year, blaming weak prosecution by Mahmoud.

Morsi had made a previous attempt at judicial interference when he tried to reverse a court order disbanding the Islamist-dominated parliament.

mkg/jlw (AFP/AP)