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Al-Arian banked for terror group
About $2 million from across the globe, including money from a terror group, landed in U.S. bank accounts controlled by former professor Sami Al-Arian and his associates, according to testimony and documents presented Thursday during the former professor's terrorism conspiracy trial.The money found its way into dozens of bank accounts from places like Switzerland, the Republic of Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, according to FBI agent Michael Wysocki, a certified public accountant who specializes in financial crime. Large sums were sent by top leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terror group that Al-Arian and three co-defendants are accused of supporting, financial records presented in court showed. Prosecutors allege in a 53-count indictment that the men used charitable and educational entities as fronts for laundering money to finance terrorist attacks. The group is blamed for more than 100 killings in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Fathi Shiqaqi, the top leader of the terror group, sent $19,985 to Sameeh Hammoudeh, an Al-Arian co-defendant, in 1994; its treasurer, Muhammed Tasir Hassan Al-Khatib, sent Al-Arian $59,900 in 1990, documents indicated. In 1992 alone, $875,964 went into accounts controlled by the former university professor and associates, Wysocki said. However, most of money arrived before 1995, the year President Clinton designated the Palestinian Islamic Jihad a terrorist organization. Thus, William Moffitt, Al-Arian's attorney, suggested such financial transactions were legal when they occurred. The defendants say they never supported or engaged in violent acts, and are being persecuted for unpopular beliefs. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-09-02 |
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