By Jason Trahan
Last Wednesday's arrest of Akram Musa Abdallah in Phoenix raises questions about whether he will testify in next month's retrial of five Holy Land Foundation organizers.
Abdallah, 54, has pleaded not guilty to Tuesday's indictment charging him with lying to the FBI in early 2007 when he denied ties to the former Richardson charity. The indictment says that between 1994 and 1997, he was "organizing, facilitating and coordinating" fundraising events in the Phoenix area for the HLF, once the nation's largest Muslim charity that is now charged with funneling money to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
Last week's indictment does not charge Abdallah with aiding Hamas. Making false statements does carry up to an eight year prison sentence and a possible $250,000 fine, which perhaps is enough pressure on him to help the government bolster its case against the five charity organizers here. What's not clear yet is Abdallah's involvement with HLF, the Dallas defendants in particular, and overseas contacts.
It is interesting to note that one of the prosecutors listed on the Abdallah's indictment is Barry Jonas, who is also working the HLF case. Read more ...
Last Wednesday's arrest of Akram Musa Abdallah in Phoenix raises questions about whether he will testify in next month's retrial of five Holy Land Foundation organizers.
Abdallah, 54, has pleaded not guilty to Tuesday's indictment charging him with lying to the FBI in early 2007 when he denied ties to the former Richardson charity. The indictment says that between 1994 and 1997, he was "organizing, facilitating and coordinating" fundraising events in the Phoenix area for the HLF, once the nation's largest Muslim charity that is now charged with funneling money to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
Last week's indictment does not charge Abdallah with aiding Hamas. Making false statements does carry up to an eight year prison sentence and a possible $250,000 fine, which perhaps is enough pressure on him to help the government bolster its case against the five charity organizers here. What's not clear yet is Abdallah's involvement with HLF, the Dallas defendants in particular, and overseas contacts.
It is interesting to note that one of the prosecutors listed on the Abdallah's indictment is Barry Jonas, who is also working the HLF case. Read more ...
Source: The Dallas Morning News
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