CAIRO- An Egyptian court on Thursday ordered four Egyptian officials detained for 15 days pending investigations over suspicions of taking bribes from commodities trading firms, state news agency MENA reported.

The officials were arrested on Tuesday and include a military general who is chairman of the state Food Industries Holding Company (FIHC), a Supply Ministry adviser responsible for coordination with parliament, a Supply Ministry spokesman and an official in the FIHC chairman's office.

The officials had initially been ordered detained for four days on Wednesday pending the investigation. 

FIHC, a state buyer that has historically handled a broad sweep of commodities, tendering locally and internationally for staples such as vegetable oils and sugar, has in recent years seen its role reduced in favour of state grain buyer GASC.

Egypt is the world's largest importer of wheat and a major buyer of staples such as corn and vegetable oils.

(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba Writing by Arwa Gaballa; Editing by Dale Hudson) ((arwa.gaballa@thomsonreuters.com; +20 2 2578 3290;))