London: The chairman and chief executive of Qatar’s largest dairy firm Baladna have been accused of helping fund the Al Qaeda affiliated Al Nusra Front, a Syrian jihadist organisation.
According to papers filed in the British High Court, Moutaz Al Khayyat and Ramez Al Khayyat were listed as the first and second defendants in a claim made by eight Syrian citizens via the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division in London.
Moutaz Al Khayyat and Ramez Al Khayyat
The Syrians claim they lost homes and businesses, and suffered physical and mental harm because of Al Nusra’s activities.
Moutaz and Ramez are the group chairman and group vice chairman/group CEO of Power International Holding, which owns and operates Qatar’s largest dairy company Baladna.
In the documents, the claimants allege ‘substantial loss and damage’ ranging from physical and psychiatric injuries to destruction of property and ‘forcible displacement’ from their homes in Syria due to the alleged financing from the Al-Khayyat brothers via the Doha Bank.
Doha Bank is listed as the third defendant.
“The defendants knew (or ought to have known) that the funds passed from them and/or through their accounts were intended for the Al Nusra Front and, in any event, [have] breached international and national laws and committed wrongful acts under Syrian law,” the papers said.
The funding was allegedly facilitated through Doha Bank into accounts located in Turkey and/or Lebanon, with the money then withdrawn and ‘carried over the border’ into Syria, where it was allegedly used to fund the jihadist terrorist group.
The court has granted anonymity to all eight claimants.
Baladna has not commented on the allegations.
However, Doha Bank’s London branch’s chief representative Richard Whiting told The Times that: “Doha Bank Limited is taking legal advice. However, it considers the allegations asserted against it are groundless and without merit.”
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