Money Laundering Archives | Morocco Telegraph

German newspaper sheds light on the ‘Polisario’ money laundering and terrorism scandal

MT — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 17:40:15 +0000

Berlin – The ”polisario” is at the heart of a money laundering scandal and an obscure terrorist financing network operated in Europe with the complicity of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite group, reveals the German newspaper “Die Welt”.

The daily highlights recent large-scale financial deals and transactions between the “polisario” militia and a Hezbollah network specializing in money laundering through the “Hawala” system, which transfers money through an unofficial clearing mechanism between exchange nodes, citing financial investigations, reports from the Spanish Civil Guard, and terrorism experts.

Hezbollah transfers value to its criminal clients by purchasing and selling goods using conventional money laundering methods after the dirty money has been introduced into the legal financial system, according to the publication.

Several European nations, including Germany, Belgium, France, and Great Britain, as well as the Gulf States and the Tindouf camps run by the “polisario” in southern Algeria were allegedly the target of illegal money transfers, according to “Die Welt.”

Ahmed A. and his partner Azman, two agents and frontline courtiers, established the “Hawala” business network of the “polisario” in Tindouf. Ahmed A. bragged about his ability to send up to 50,000 euros at any time, anywhere. According to reports from the Guardia Civil’s financial department, he claims he will be able to make even larger transfers,” Die Welt notes.

“Ahmed A., a Libyan-born Spaniard who attended school there, specializes in sending illicit funds from Europe to West Africa and vice versa. He is based in Spain along with his colleagues. They have strong ties to Algerian generals, the source continues, adding that “the two Hawala brokers of the “polisario” opened butcher shops, food and computer stores, as well as private accounts in several European banks where their customers can transfer money in order to conceal their illegal financial activities.”

The revelations confirm the affiliation between the “polisario” and Hezbollah, alarming terrorism experts and global counterterrorism organizations, while Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, is increasing its influence in West Africa, the daily reports.

The German newspaper emphasizes that Hezbollah has set up a training facility in the Tindouf camps for “polisario” fighters with the approval of the ruling Algerian junta, while the Tehran regime has provided the “polisario” militia with missiles and drones, endangering regional stability.

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Public Prosecutor: Statements of Monjib to Be Banned from Traveling ‘Contrary to Reality’

MT — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 10:58:35 +0000

The Public Prosecutor at Rabat’s Court of First Instance says that Maati Monjib’s statements on social media dated October 13, 2021, in which he claims to have been wrongfully banned from traveling, are “contrary to reality and utterly false.”

According to a statement from the public prosecutor, Monjib is the subject of a money laundering investigation by the investigating judge, and after being detained in this case, the investigating judge granted him provisional freedom subject to two measures of judicial control, namely the closure of borders against him and the withdrawal of his passport.

Monjib filed a request for the lifting of the hold on his bank account and property, the recovery of his passport, and the opening of borders before him through his lawyers on October 7, 2021, which was denied by the investigating judge on October 13, 2021.

Monjib proceeded to the Rabat-Salé airport to leave the country, despite the fact that the decision to seal the borders against him is still in effect because the investigating court refused his request.

In connection with the aforementioned case, Maati Monjib’s assets were blocked as a precautionary step, which is common in money laundering situations.

In light of the upholding of the judgment by the investigating court, as previously described, Maati Monjib’s complaints of an oppressive travel ban remain unfounded, according to the statement.

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Investigation conducted with Moroccan Money Laundering suspect Maati Monjib

M.T — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 23:37:49 +0000

The public prosecutor at the Rabat Court of First Instance announced that the preliminary investigation conducted with Maati Monjib and some of his family members was opened as a result of a referral received from the Financial Intelligence Unit including data on facts likely to constitute a money laundering offense.

The received referral, being part of the regular tasks of the Financial Intelligence Unit which is affiliated to the Head of Government Office, included significant funds’ transfers and a list of real estate that were subject of suspicious transaction reports as they do not correspond to the usual income declared, a press release from the public prosecutor said.

The public prosecutor’s office shared the referral according to Article 18 of Law 43-05, relating to the fight against money laundering, and instructed the national judicial police brigade to lead a preliminary investigation on the source and nature of the transactions and financial transfers carried out by the concerned persons, in order to identify the sources of the real estate related to suspicious transaction reports.

Soon after that, Maati Monjib wrote a Facebook post claiming that the money laundering accusations are not new, and that these charges are meant to weaken his stand before the public opinion.

Monjib ran the gauntlet from Moroccans who blew up at the huge discrepancy between the income declared and the personal assets, and asked him to justify his wealth and prove his innocence instead of going on a hunger strike.

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