The US interrogates two Somalis over links to financing al-Qaida organization

The American authorities have accused two emigrants of Somali origins of running foreign financial transfers, illegally that helped to finance the al-Qaida organization of Osama Bin Laden.

News reports quoted the US attorney general office as saying in a statement that a federal higher court addressed to the two brothers in al-Barakat North America foundation Muhammad Hussein and Leiban Hussein accusations of running an illegal money transfer operation and if the two men are convicted they will face imprisonment of five years and will be fined for USD 250,000.

Muhammad Hussein, the financial official at the company was arrested on October7 in its office, Doreshster, in Boston and he was brought before the court on Thursday.

Leiban Hussein who lives in Boston and Canada is the chairman of the company. He on Wednesday was brought before a Canadian court and was released in a guarantee after the judge said that there is no evidence on his involvement in any terrorist work or activity. But despite all of these, Leiban was asked to hand over his passport and to check with the police every week and to stay in Toronto until the court studies handing him over to the US.

However, Somalis own al-Barakat company which appeared in 1985 as a financial transfer company for Somalis working in Saudi Arabia in order to send their sums to their families and relatives in Somalia. The company has offices in 40 countries and deals with USD 140 million for Somali expatriates.

Al-Barakat has also activities in the sector of telecommunications and is considered the largest private sector company in Somalia concerning number of working staff.