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Wednesday, March 17, 2010     FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Palestinian Authority seizes belongings of official tasked with exposing corruption

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has cracked down on a former senior official appointed to uncover corruption.   

PA security forces raided the home of Fahmi Shabaneh in the West Bank city of Jericho in March 2010. Shabaneh, appointed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to battle corruption, said officers from the police and General Intelligence Service ransacked and vandalized his home and removed equipment and personal items.

"Abbas and his aides want to punish me because I went to the media and exposed how they have been stealing millions of dollars of international aid," Shabaneh told the Jerusalem Post. "Instead of punishing the corrupt guys, many of whom are sitting around Abbas, they are punishing me by confiscating the only house I own."


Also In This Edition

On March 16, Fatah's military wing said it was pressing the PA to resume attacks on Israel. Fatah, pointing to clashes between Israel and Palestinians in Jerusalem, also demanded that the PA release insurgents arrested by Palestinian security forces in the West Bank.

"The ongoing violation of the Al Aqsa Mosque opened the gates to a campaign against the enemy without limitations," Fatah said.

In February 2010, Shabaneh released a videotape that showed an Abbas aide soliciting sex from an Arab woman. The woman was said to have asked the aide, identified as Rafiq Husseini, for an official favor.

Shabaneh, accused by the PA of treason, has been living in Jerusalem and holds an Israeli identity card. Israel has banned the PA from operating in Jerusalem.

The former head of an anti-corruption unit, Shabaneh has established a Web site and pledged to uncover additional scandals within the PA. He said his next target would be Sheik Taysir Tamimi, head of the Islamic courts in the PA.

Shabaneh said Tamimi and other Islamic judges have been accused of using their positions to trade favors for sex. Shabaneh has released a recording of a phone call in which Tamimi was said to plead that the case be kept quiet. Shabaneh said a former PA minister has been accused of similar conduct.

"This minister has also been begging me not to expose his file," Shabaneh said.



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