Despite an Egyptian request to extradite Ghali from UK upon his conviction and an Interpol Red Notice to arrest him, he still lives there and moves freely. (Photo: Reuters)
Egypt has renewed its offer to sign a bilateral treaty for criminal extradition with the UK, a deal that could speed the return of fugitive Mubarak-era figures such as Youssef Boutros Ghali.
Adel Fahmy, assistant to Egypt's Minister of Justice for International Cooperation, has confirmed that Egypt is still ready to negotiate on the draft of a treaty.
"We reiterated our previous wish to discuss a draft for a general agreement on the extradition of criminals with the UK," Fahmy told Ahram Online.
Egypt made the same offer to the UK government last year, Fahmy said.
The new offer came during a London meeting between an Egyptian judicial delegation and officials from the UK Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Discussions at the meeting centred around the recovery of frozen Egyptian assets in the UK, and the extradition of Youssef Boutros Ghali, the former finance minister who fled Egypt in February 2011.
Ghali was later put on trial by a Cairo court for corruption and sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison.
"We offered to negotiate and sign an extradition treaty in order to accelerate the UK process of Ghali's extradition," Fahmy revealed
Egypt has requested the UK extradite Ghali following his conviction. Interpol later issued an international red notice, calling for his arrest.
“UK officials told us they are still considering the Egyptian extradition request to decide whether they can respond to it in accordance with the procedures and standards defined by English law," Famhy said.
"We thought that a bilateral extradition treaty would help extradition process," he added.
The UK has not responded to the Egyptian offer.
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