Switzerland has already frozen his finances, and some EU ministers have offered help — but without an immediate global outcry, action may come too slowly to stop the Mubarak billions from vanishing.

The Avaaz community is calling on leaders of all nations to ensure that Egypt’s money is returned to the people. The petition will be delivered, if it reaches 500,000 signatures, to G20 finance ministers when they meet this Friday in Paris.

Millions of Egyptians live on less than $2 per day — yet experts say that corruption costs Egypt more than $6 billion in public money per year. The Mubaraks themselves have benefited massively from a web of business deals, crony-capitalist privatization schemes, and state-guaranteed investments throughout Mubarak’s 30 years as president. Estimates of their wealth run from a *”mere”* $2-3 billion to the staggering $70 billion figure, which would make Hosni Mubarak the world’s richest man. And 25 senior government officials are already under investigation for amassing fortunes while serving under him.

But the days may finally be over when corrupt rulers can escape with their fortunes intact. The new United Nations Convention Against Corruption explicitly calls for the return of corruptly-gained assets to the countries of origin, and Egypt’s military government has already asked European Union governments to freeze Mubarak’s fortune. The key question now is whether action will come fast enough: all the laws in the world won’t help if the Mubarak billions are shuffled out of sight before authorities can seize them.

The voices of citizens can help the people of Egypt make good on the promise of their revolution. Avaaz is calling to join the call for Egyptian wealth to go back to the people of Egypt: [http://www.avaaz.org/en/mubaraks_fortune/?vl](http://www.avaaz.org/en/mubaraks_fortune/?vl)

As millions of Egyptians risked — and even gave — their lives for democracy, there was little that people around the world could do beyond send their hopes and solidarity. But now supporters have a special responsibility: to do the utmost to restore the national property stolen by a dictatorship that other governments tolerated for far too long.

The people of Egypt are ready now to build a new nation. Their friends around the world can ensure that they regain the resources that were taken from them, as they create the future that few dared to dream possible.

SOURCES

Washington Post: “Egyptians focus their attention on recovering the nation’s money”
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/12/AR2011021203767.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/12/AR2011021203767.html)

Egypt’s Mubarak Likely to Retain Vast Wealth; Mubarak Family May Have as Much as $70 Billion Stashed Away, Experts Estimate
[http://abcnews.go.com/Business/egypt-mubarak-family-accumulated-wealth-days-military/story?id=12821073](http://abcnews.go.com/Business/egypt-mubarak-family-accumulated-wealth-days-military/story?id=12821073)

Seize Money Stolen by Mubarak and Return it to Egypt
[http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20Editorials/2011/February/15%20o/Seize%20Money%20Stolen%20by%20Mubarak%20and%20Return%20it%20to%20Egypt%20By%20Paul%20Dunk.htm](http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20Editorials/2011/February/15%20o/Seize%20Money%20Stolen%20by%20Mubarak%20and%20Return%20it%20to%20Egypt%20By%20Paul%20Dunk.htm)

EU Yet To Agree Action On Egypt Asset Requests
[http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201102151027dowjonesdjonline000253&title=ecofineu-yet-to-agree-action-on-egypt-asset-requests](http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201102151027dowjonesdjonline000253&title=ecofineu-yet-to-agree-action-on-egypt-asset-requests)

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption
[http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CAC/convention-highlights.html#Asset_recovery](http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CAC/convention-highlights.html#Asset_recovery)