Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber said on Monday that he cannot give a specific date on when frozen Egyptian assets that were deposited in his country’s banks would be returned.
“The issue is very complex, both on the Egyptian and the Swiss side,” Lauber said. “It will take a while to resolve.”
Millions of dollars in Egyptian funds had been deposited in Swiss banks by members of the former Mubarak regime; many who are currently on trial facing corruption charges.
Lauber’s remarks came during a press conference that was held at the Swiss Embassy in Cairo after he met with his Egyptian counterpart, Hesham Barakat.
The Swiss official said that he is working hard with Egypt in order to recover the smuggled funds. He also said that his bureau runs an entity that is independent of the Swiss government, which investigates smuggled money from around the world.
Lauber said he hopes 2014 will see greater cooperation between both countries as stability makes its way back to Egypt.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
