EGYPT: MB ENGAGED IN MONEY-LAUNDERING
CAIRO — Egypt has charged the Muslim Brotherhood with
money-laundering.
Authorities plan to prosecute six senior members of the Muslim
Brotherhood on charges of money-laundering. The six have been ordered in
detention for 15 days as authorities prepare their case.
Officials said the detainees used Brotherhood-owned businesses to
launder millions of dollars. The six, ordered in jail on Jan. 15, were
identified as members of the Brotherhood's financial committee, said to
manage donations from supporters in Egypt and abroad.
One of the defendants is Mohammed Ali Bishr, a former parliamentarian.
Issam Hashish has been identified as the Brotherhood's leader in Giza, the
twin city of Cairo. The remaining four manage large companies in Egypt.
Islamic sources said the arrests were meant to block the growing power
of the Brotherhood, which has 88 seat in parliament. The sources said the
Brotherhood has been gaining control over labor unions and Egyptian
industry.
In December 2006, Egypt accused the Brotherhood of establishing a
militia. So far, about 160 Brotherhood members have been arrested, most of
them students at Al Azhar University. On Thursday, three Brotherhood leaders
were arrested.
President Hosni Mubarak has accused the Brotherhood of being a threat to
national security. The president warned that a Brotherhood takeover would
leave Egypt isolated and impoverished.
Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Akef rejected Mubarak's accusations.
Akef said the movement rejects violence and the ideology of holy war.
"The Brotherhood has never been and never will be anything but an
advocate of good deeds," Akef said. "What is causing investors to flee is
tyranny, corruption and martial law, under
which tens of thousands of people have been detained without charge,
investigation or trial."
