Investigation into illegal fund-raising, money laundering cases completed

Manama, June 15 (BNA): Chief Prosecutor Mohammed Al-Maliki has announced that the Public Prosecution has completed its investigation into instances of illegal fund-raising and money-laundering attributed to officials from Al-Risala Islamic Society, the Islamic Enlightenment Society (Al-Taweya) and Dar Al Yaqeen Bookstore. Investigations revealed that a terror convict, who is currently living in Iran, is in charge of Al-Risala Islamic Society and is running it from abroad, Al-Maliki pointed out. He added that the Public Prosecution had summoned the remaining officials of the associations and the library, alongside those in charge of their premises, and questioned them yesterday. Charges included raising funds in ways that breached the legal regulations, and layering the sums collected through spending them or conducting banking operations to hide their sources and legitimize them. The Public Prosecution released the suspects pending the completion of the investigations which are still going on, Al-Maliki said. The Public Prosecution is also looking into other notifications it had received from the Financial Intelligence Directorate at the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security pertaining to individuals who committed similar crimes, the Chief Prosecutor noted. Among those involved in such crimes is a religious figure who, through the disclosure of his bank statements , was found to have about $10 million, Al-Maliki said, adding that the Public Prosecution ordered the reservation of that sum.