Fugitive Saudi businessman sues Albanian government for seizing his property TIRANA, Albania A Saudi fugitive who is under investigation for alleged money laundering for Osama bin Laden's terror network has sued the Albanian government for seizing his properties in the country, a Tirana district court official said Wednesday.
In October, authorities seized 22 apartment units and froze many bank accounts and other assets owned by Yasin Al-Qadi, a Saudi businessman suspected of laundering money through extensive business dealings in Albania. He left Albania at least three years ago. Albanian authorities do not know al-Qadi's whereabouts. "On Monday Yasin Al-Qadi deposited at the Tirana district court a civil indictment against the Albanian government," Tirana court spokeswoman Ermela Zaimi told The Associated Press, adding the indictment was filed by a local lawyer whom she did not identify. Al-Qadi headed the Saudi-based Muwafaq Foundation, which U.S. investigators suspect took in millions from wealthy Saudis and funneled it to bin Laden. He was among 39 individuals and organizations designated in 2001 by the U.S. government to have their assets frozen. In October, Albania approved a U.N. list of terrorist groups, on which Al-Qadi was named. The United Nations require all countries to freeze assets and impose arms and travel bans on those on the list, which contains individuals and groups associated with terrorist activities. An Albanian decision Oct. 29, 2004 said that all Al-Qadi's assets and activities would be seized and frozen. The Saudi citizen had set up eight companies in Albania from 1992, and was known by five different names. He has been under investigation since January 2002 for suspected money laundering, but had already left the country by that time. Last year Albania passed a law which allowed it to seize assets and block funding and obliged people to tell authorities about suspected terrorist financing. Earlier this year Albanian authorities seized properties and froze the assets of four foundations and a married couple accused by the United Nations of funding terrorist activities. Albania, a small, predominantly Muslim country, has been a vocal backer of the U.S.-led campaign in Iraq, where it deployed a unit of 120 non-combat troops to help with postwar peacekeeping. It also has peacekeeping units in Afghanistan and Bosnia. 050608 150816 Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. FAIR USE NOTICE: All original content and/or articles and graphics in this message are copyrighted, unless specifically noted otherwise. All rights to these copyrighted items are reserved. Articles and graphics have been placed within for educational and discussion purposes only, in compliance with "Fair Use" criteria established in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. The principle of "Fair Use" was established as law by Section 107 of The Copyright Act of 1976. 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