Funds misused

Manama: The investigations by the Public Prosecution revealed that religious cleric Shaikh Isa Qassim had kept a large portion of money raised through donations in his possession, and sent some of it to anti-Bahrain organisations in Iran and Iraq.

Shaikh Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of Al Wefaq Islamic Society, adopted this move after the issuance of a new law regulating the collection of donations. It was earlier revealed that Shaikh Isa Qassim had $10 million in his bank account. 

In fact, the authorities, who are investigating several local societies, accused of money laundering and illegal fund-raising acts, had frozen his bank account. The Public Prosecution said in a statement yesterday that Shaikh Isa Qassim avoided depositing the money in the bank to evade security checks and banking controls. 

Meanwhile, Chief Pros-ecutor Mohammed Al Maliki underlined in the statement that investigations were still being conducted in the case of illegal fundraising and money laundering by the Islamic Awareness Society. 

According to him, the investigations so far revealed that some of the suspects had carried out banking transactions on the funds deposited in their bank accounts in breach of the law and regulations. “Investigations also uncovered that the religious figure, whose personal account included large sums of money, did not deposit all the funds he raised into the bank accounts. He kept them with him in a bid to evade security checks and banking controls on depositing and withdrawing money,” the statement noted without mentioning Shaikh Isa Qassim’s name.

“The religious figure succeeded in sending a large amount from the funds raised to Iran and Iraq in breach of the rules for financial remittance and disclosure. These amounts were received by foreign entities and organisations hostile to Bahrain,” it added. “He set up an unlicensed office for illegal fundraising, acting on directives from foreign entities and organisations to undertake an institutional political role in the guise of religious activities.” 

He added that the names of the entities and organisations that received the funds from him would be revealed later.