|
Al-Qaeda bankroller Youssef Nada wants damages from Swiss government
 Attorneys for Muslim Brotherhood Banker Youssef Nada, founder and president of the Al Taqwa Bank, have announced their intention to file a new claim against the Swiss government, on Nadas behalf, for economic losses, defamation and mental distress allegedly caused by the Swiss Governments three year investigation of Nadas alleged involvement in financing terrorism. The charges were dropped last May (2005) when the Swiss Prosecutors office concluded it had insufficient usable evidence to bring the matter to trial. At the time concerns were expressed over the lack of cooperation and information sharing between relevant intelligence and investigative agencies in the United States and Switzerland, and the difficulty the Swiss Prosecutor's office had in obtaining and turning intelligence into usable evidence.Nada, and Al Taqwa were designated by the UN Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee and by the US Treasury in November 2001 for providing financial support to Al Taqwa. Press reports have speculated that Nada is seeking up to 200 million Swiss Francs as damages, but his attorneys have suggested that these stories are "speculative" and that no claim amount has yet been established. Despite UN and US designation, Nada continues to direct a substantial worldwide business network and has reportedly re-established himself as liquidator of at least some of his holdings maintained through Shell companies in Liechtenstein. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-06-02 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=154650 |