CA freezes bank accounts of Islamic group

The Court of Appeals froze yesterday the bank accounts of the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), which is suspected of being used to fund the activities of al-Qaeda-linked groups such as the Abu Sayyaf.

In a four-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Arcangelita Romilla-Lontok, the CA’s third division granted the freeze order sought by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and ordered the freezing of IIRO’s Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) bank account number 0200100100000011145671.

The CA said there is probable cause that the account is being used to fund terrorist activities in the Philippines.

The IIRO is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest charitable organizations and it has been associated with terrorism by the United States government.

The US government accused the IIRO of funding terrorist attacks in different countries — including the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks of the twin towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York where thousands of people died.

"Having determined that probable cause exists — thus finding merit in the petition — a freeze order, effective for a period of 20 days against account no. 0200100100000011145671 in the name of (the) Islamic Relief Organization with the Bank of Philippine Islands and all related web accounts is granted and subject bank is also ordered to submit to this Court and the AMLC a detailed return on the freeze order within 24 hours from receipt," the CA said.

The AMLC sought the freezing of IIRO’s bank account after citing the US Department of Treasury’s allegations that the IIRO’s branches in the Philippines and Indonesia are fund-raising fronts for al-Qaeda and its affiliate groups.

The US Department of Treasury also said the IIRO’s branches in the Philippines served as al-Qaeda’s liaison with the Abu Sayyaf and other Islamic extremist groups.

The AMLC said the United National approved the 1267 sanctions committee on Aug. 4, including the IIRO’s branch in the Philippines and added Abed Al-Hamid Sulaiman Al-Mujil, executive director of the eastern province of IIRO in Saudi Arabia, to its list of individuals and organizations associated with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The AMLC said the US government, through the US Embassy in Manila, sought the Philippine government’s assistance in verifying the existence of funds and economic resources, including property or interests in property owned or controlled directly or indirectly by Al-Mujil and IIRO’s Philippine branch, and in freezing these assets.

Investigations conducted by the AMLC revealed the existence of BPI account nos. 0200100100000011145671 and 0200200100000012000472 under the name of IIRO.

Further investigation by AMLC, however, showed that only BPI account no. 0200100100000011145671 is active.

In a resolution, the AMLC authorized the executive director of the AMLC-Secretariat or the Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG) to file an application for the issuance of a freeze order against the active IIRO bank account. — Jose Rodel Clapano, AFP