British ambassador to Cairo James Watt said on Monday that his country has no objection to signing an extradition treaty with Egypt in the future. He explained that the British Parliament makes the decision on whether or not to sign an extradition agreement based on the extent to which a given country respects human rights. Watt, who assumed office three weeks ago, said the British judiciary quickly responded to requests by the Egyptian government to freeze bank accounts of certain wanted individuals, and called for patience, as the investigation of such matters takes time. He also said that 40 million pounds sterling had been disclosed so far as having been transfered to Britain by members of the Mubarak regime, and that the total amount sent to British banks was probably much greater. He added that the Egyptian government is preparing another list of names of people whose assests it wishes British authorities to freeze. So far, the accounts of 40 individuals have been frozen. Watt said that London had invited a delegation from the Egyptian elections committee to familiarize it with procedures adopted in British elections, and that the British felt the committee was qualified to conduct proper and transparent elections in Egypt. He also believed that certain forces intend to monopolize the political scene in Egypt, “as if the people had no right to choose for themselves,” as he put it. Translated from the Arabic Edition
