Man in court accused of bin Laden money-laundering
The head of a money-transfer service that the United States accuses of diverting money to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network surrendered yesterday to Canadian police.
Liban Hussein, 31, was taken into custody under an extradition warrant, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal Louise Lafrance said. He was scheduled to appear for a bail hearing in Ottawa today.
Hussein and his brother, Mohamed, operate Barakaat North America out of offices in Ottawa and Massachusetts. Last week, the US Treasury said the company’s assets should be frozen for allegedly financing terrorism.
Mohamed Hussein was arrested in Boston last week and faces a court hearing on Thursday.
US Attorney General John Ashcroft has called the Boston business and others around the country ‘‘offices’’ of the al-Barakaat network, one of two organisations on a list of entities with suspected terrorist ties.
Investigators believe tens of millions of dollars a year flow overseas through Al-Barakaat. Much of that was sent by Somali residents of the United States to relatives, with the networks skimming money off for al-Qaida through exchange fees, the US officials charge.
Liban Hussein has denied any involvement between his company and terrorists, saying Barakaat simply helps Somalis send money to relatives back home.
The Husseins, brothers from Somalia who hold Canadian citizenship, have not been charged with terrorist activity.
Hussein now faces extradition proceedings in Canada that could last for months or years unless he waives his right to a hearing. His arrest came at the request of the United States, and he faces no charges in Canada.
Hussein’s Boston lawyer, Sam Osagiede, said Hussein wanted to turn himself in to argue his case to police.
‘‘He’s going in there for an interview, interrogation,’’ Osagiede told The Canadian Press. ‘‘If they want to detain him after that, that is not what I can tell.’’
Barakaat North America received deposits of more than $3m (£2.5m) between January and September, US authorities say. So far, the Customs Service has identified nearly $800,000 (£600,000) wired from Barakaat North America’s account to the Al Baraka Exchange in the United Arab Emirates.
Assets of the Emirates’ branch were frozen on Wednesday.
The FBI had already investigated possible ties between Barakaat and terrorists over a year ago, Osagiede said last week. At a meeting in September 2000, the FBI met with Osagiede and a company trustee whom he would not identify.
He said investigators wanted to ‘‘determine if Barakaat North America had anything to do with funding of terrorist activities worldwide.’’
