Sentence due in June for man who admits providing funds to Islamic State
By Conor Kane
A man who admitted providing funding to the terrorist organisation Islamic State is due to be sentenced in June.
Hassan Bal (26), formerly of O’Connell Street, Waterford, pleaded guilty earlier this year to two terrorist-related offences and was remanded in custody in January.
He was brought back before Waterford Circuit Court today and Judge Eugene O’Kelly was told that a report from an expert on radicalisaion, requested by the defence, is not yet ready. However, it should be finalised by the time the current court sessions are over in June.
Noel Whelan BL, prosecuting, asked that the case be adjourned to May 30 with a view to fixing a date in June for sentencing.
Judge O’Kelly agreed to this request, on consent by Conor Roberts BL, defending. He remanded Hassan Bal in continuing custody, to May 30, when a date will be set for sentencing.
Hassan Bal pleaded guilty in January to unlawfully transferring €400 by means of an An Post/Western Union transaction to a Stevo Maksimovic in the Bosnian city of Brako on October 2 of 2015.
This was done with him intending or knowing that the money would be used in whole or in part for the benefit of the terrorist group, Islamic State.
He also pleaded guilty to communicating by phone with an intermediary in London on October 23 of 2015, in an attempt to collect or receive cash for Islamic State, from a person known to him as Omar Abu Azid, at an address at Geron Way, London.
The charges are contrary to Section 13 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act of 2005. The maximum sentence is 20 years imprisonment.
Hassan Bal was in court today for the brief hearing, wearing a dark suit, dark tie and white shirt, but was not called upon to speak.
He is originally from the UK and moved to Ireland with his family when he was 12 years old. He lived initially in Wexford and moved to Waterford in 2007. He holds an Irish passport and was training to be an electrician at the time of his arrest in April of last year.
His defence team asked in January for a report to be carried out by Dr Daniel Koelher of the German Institute of Radicalisation and De-Radicalisation Studies. This report, it was heard in January, should ask why Hassan Bal became “associated with such activities” and if he has since been de-radicalised.
They also asked for Mr Koelher to be given access in prison to Mr Bal for the purposes of his investigation, and that he should be available to give evidence at the sentencing hearing.
