Britain will return Egypt's money if given 'sufficient evidence': ambassador

UK seeks documents proving British-held assets of former regime officials are illegal before repatriating funds

Two months after the ouster of Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak, the British ambassador to Egypt said on Wednesday said the UK is ready to repay former officials' money and assets frozen in Britain, if Egyptian authorities provides sufficient evidence they were illegally obtained.
"Restoring the money should be done according to the British law and through a British court and this requires sufficient evidence to prove the frozen assets are illegal," the state-run MENA news agency quoted Dominic Asquith as saying.
Under repayment proposals, the illegally-gained assets of former officials would be given to the new Egyptian government.
Asquith added the UK sent a request to the Egyptian government a month ago asking it to provide documents showing such assets are against the law.
"We're awaiting the documents from the Egypt's general prosecutor before we send the money back," he said.
He added that there is an "open invitation" for Egyptian officials to visit Britain to discuss the issue, claiming the UK has urged the European Union to quickly respond to the Egyptian request to freeze assets of former officials.
Late in February, William Hague, UK foreign secretary announced the government would consult with its European allies on a request from the new authorities in Egypt to freeze the assets of “several former officials” in the Mubarak government, saying Britain was ready to act on the request after a review of the issue at a meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels.
Hague's statement about a pending British move to freeze assets prompted a wave of criticism in Britain that centered on suggestions that Prime Minister David Cameron's government should have acted during the 18-day confrontation that led to Mr. Mubarak's resignation and a takeover by Egypt's military.