The GMBDW has obtained a translated summary of an Egyptian newspaper report providing further details regarding the Egyptian government’s investigation into an alleged Muslim Brotherhood money-laundering ring. According to a document which Al-Masry al-Youm claims to have obtained:
Ibrahim Munir is identified as the Secretary-General of the International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Egyptian government claims that he took advantage of several institutions and conferences held in the UK following the war on Gaza in order to raise funds for the Palestinians. Part of the money was said to have been transferred to companies abroad but the majority smuggled into Egypt by members of the International Organisation who were not under surveilance. According to the paper, the Egyptian document identifies some of the institutions including the Muslim Welfare House (MWH), said to belong to the Islamic Call Society in Britain ([jam’iyyat al-da’wa al-islamiyya bi-baritaniya]. The MWH is reported to be one of the institutions used by the International Organisation in the UK to cover its work. One of the accused, Ashraf Muhammad Abdul Halim Abdul Ghaffar, is said to have conducted a fundraising campaign through the MWH in the beginning of 2009, collecting more than GBP 2 million. In addition, both Munir and Awad al-Qarni (the Saudi accused) reportedly fundraised following a conference held in London in April 2009, collecting more than GBP 2 million. Wagdy Ghoneim is alleged to have fundraised following a Palestine Forum Britain (PFB) celebration held on February 2009. Al-Masry al-Youm also accuses Chakib bin Makhlouf, head of the Federation of Islamic Organizations In Europe (FIOE) said to have been set up by the International Organisation abroad. Bin Makhlouf is accused of entering Egypt in January 31, 2009 with a truck convoy together with FIOE Assistant Secretary-General Ayman Ali and delivering large sums of money to Osama Muhammad Suleiman, an MB figure also involved in the doctors syndicate. Suleiman heads two international money-changing companies known as the Arabic Exchange Group and Al-Sabah Exchange and allegedly laundered the money, some 2.7 million Europe largely collected by Munir, during the first week of February 2009.
Previous posts have discussed the announcement and background to the investigation as well as identifying Global Muslim Brotherhood figure Wagdy Ghoneim as one of the accused. Other posts have detailed Ghoneim’s speaking appearances sponsored by FIOE member organizations and a NEFA Foundation report has identified FIOE as representing the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. Although there is a World Islamic Call Society sponsored by the Libyan government, it is not known if this is same organization referred to above as the Islamic Call Society in Britain.
It is likely, but not yet confirmed, that the Muslim Welfare House (MWH) is the same organization that is part of FIOE and, as discussed in an earlier post, in 2009 received close to 50,000 British pounds in government funds intended to prevent radicalization. A report from the UK-based Centre for Social Cohesion describes the global Muslim Brotherhood ties of the MWH:
The MB connections with the MWH are strong and up until 2007, of the 5 registered owners of the MWH, 3 were also directors of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), the Brotherhood’s main presence in the United Kingdom. Among them was Mohammed Sawalha, described by IslamOnline’s Arabic site as the “UK head of the Political Committee of the International Muslim Brotherhood organisation”, identified by the BBC as a “fugitive Hamas commander” and signatory to the now infamous Istanbul statement which called for continued support for Hamas and indirectly sanctioned attacks on the Royal Navy in the eastern Mediterranean. Joining Sawalha at the MWH until 2007 was Abdel Shaheed el-Ashaal, who is referred to by the pro-Brotherhood magazine Islamism Digest as a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood and who until 2000 was the company secretary for a company called the Hassan el-Banna [MB founder] Foundation. One of the stated aims of the Foundation was “to give a correct image of the thoughts, ideology and life of Imam Shaheed Hassan el-Banna.” Since 2007, the MWH has undergone something of a clean-up, with all of its MB connected trustees and owners replaced with ‘clean slates’. However, its connection with the FIOE means that it continues to carry out the work of the MB in the UK.
Another previous post reported that condolences were received at the MWH following the March 2009 death of Dr. Hasan al-Huwaidi, the late former head of the Brotherhood’s International Organization (IMB). Other posts have provided background on the IMB, considered to be the international leadership of the global Muslim Brotherhood most closely tied to the Egyptian organization.
(Note: Translated summary provided courtesy of Muslim World News)