Presidential candidate in Egypt in prison, deputy attacked

Hisham Geneina 

Egypt's former top auditor and a leading member of an opposition campaign against President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was seriously injured during a suspected kidnapping attempt, lawyers said. 

Ali Taha and Tareq el-Awady, lawyers of Hisham Geneina, told the Associated Press that three men with knives jumped out of two cars that blocked the path of Genena's car outside his suburban Cairo home on Saturday. 

The men attempted to force Geneina into their car, but were stopped by passers-by and a fight ensued, in which Geneina suffered injuries to his face and leg. 

Photos circulating on social media showed an injured Geneina. A security official told al-Shorouk newspaper, however, that Geneina was injured after a fight followed a vehicle accident. 
Geneina had been tapped earlier this month to be a deputy to Sami Anan, the former head of Egypt's armed forces, who initially said he would run in March's presidential election.
Anan was later arrested on accusations that he did not as permission from the military and accused of incitement.
Earlier this month, Egyptian authorities stormed the homes of Anan's presidential campaigners and arrested a number of them. Anan's campaign announced the suspension of work on their Facebook page out of fear for their employees' safety. On Saturday, one of Anan's lawyer told Al Jazeera that he met Anan at a military prison.
Sisi sacked Geneina as head of Egypt's Central Auditing Organisation (CAO) in 2016 after he reported that tens of billions of dollars had been lost to government corruption.
Geneina, av former judge, was appointed head of CAO in 2012 by former President Mohamed Morsi, a member of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi was overthrown by Sisi in July 2013.