Donations to Hamas a very active sector in Montreal taxes deductables for the terrorists

Donations to Hamas: a very active sector in Montreal

Published December 1, 2014 05:00 AM | Updated December 1, 2014 at 7:47

Vincent Larouche La Presse

For years, thegroup IslamistHamas in Montreal has enjoyed a very active infrastructure terrorist financing solicited individuals and Islamic organizations under the guise of charitable activities, says the RCMP documents obtained by La Presse. The banks and the government tried to stop the flow of money, but the network has foiled them, at least until spring.

Thursday, March 6, 2014, 5:09 p.m.. A man that the RCMP considered a Hamas fundraiser fate of the offices of the Muslim Association ofCanada,at the corner of Laurentien Boulevard and Émile Nelligan Street, in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville. He holds a 8.5-inch yellow envelope on 14. Concealed nearby, a police officer aims and presses the button of his camera.

The photo is added to a large investigation file named "Project Sapphire, financing of terrorism".dropoff window Corporal Christine Bélair, the Integrated National Security Team in Montreal, takes notes in his report. "It is possible that [censored] still accepting donations at this time of the Muslim Association of Canada on behalf ofIRFAN,"she wrote.

IRFAN is the name of ancharity active  in QuebecOntarioInternational Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy, added by the government's list of terroristentities,24 April.

Police said the body was amassing millions for Hamas to Canada, under cover of charitable activities in Palestine. Its charitable status had been withdrawn by the Revenue Agency in 2011 because of his alleged links with Hamas. The case made ​​headlines at the time (Hamas is considered a terrorist by Canada since 2002).

But the RCMP found that donations have continued to come anyway. Even when banks have cut off access for IRFAN the Canadian financial system, the organization continued to raise cash donations, he sent to Palestine.

In April, police conducted raids in Quebec Ontario as part of an investigation into the IRFAN. At the cost of long process, lawyers in La Presse obtained an investigative summary sworn 100 pages, written by the RCMP as part of these searches. The paper sheds light on what police believed to be Hamas financing system in Quebec.

The court censured for now the name of the man she believes to be the collector Montreal funds, a resident of Pierrefonds. The investigation is still ongoing and no one has been charged to date.

14.6 million at a

minimum,the Canadian government has reported evidence that between 2005 and 2009, IRFAN transferred 14.6 million Canadian dollars fifteen organizations "directly or indirectly associated with Hamas."

According to the RCMP, it was not by chance or by mistake. "The information shows that IRFAN and its director general, Abdul-Majid Rasem [based in Mississauga, Ontario] were Hamas supporters continued," wrote Corporal Bélair.

Rasem Abdul-Majid on Facebook

It is possible that the funds raised were even more important. The tax authorities found many errors in therecords financialof theIRFAN."That means it is possible that received and not deposited monies have not been detected," said the RCMP. An undercover police officer under a false identity has also discussed with the Director General Irfan, who claimed to transfer 6 to 7 million annually in Palestine and Lebanon.

In 2011, the Revenue Agency has canceled the status of charity IRFAN, which prevented him from issue receipts for tax credit and publicly exposed his alleged ties to Hamas, to the astonishment of some donors who simply believed assist Palestinian orphans.

But donations continued to pour in later reveals the RCMP investigation: from January 2011 to July 2013 alone, 28,300 credit card transactions were carried out on the business account of the group, all for a value 3.4 million. That's not counting donations by check orcash.

In July 2013, it was the turn of the CIBC bank to close all accounts of the IRFAN, because of alleged links to terrorism. No financial institution wanted to now deal with the body.

All these obstacles have not prevented the IRFAN to continue to raise funds. "Despite the revocation of its charitable status, cessation of banking services by CIBC and its inability to obtain other banking services IRFAN today continues to operate as a non-profit organization" Corporal Bélair wrote last April.

"IRFAN continues to accept donations in cash, although it will not accept checks or credit card donations because of its inability to open and maintain a bank account in Canadian financial institutions, "she said. Agents posing as donors have also been able to verify the information and pass notes marked with IRFAN.

active antenna Montreal

Theheadquarters IRFAN well be based in Ontario, the Montreal antenna remained active until at least March, confirms the RCMP.

"The Montreal office of IRFAN was responsible for organizing and holding fundraisers in Quebec, to converse in French with Francophone donors and translate documentation 'Irfan, "she said. The group had an office on Decarie Boulevard in the borough of Saint-Laurent,for years. When it was closed, donors have been redirected to the collector of the Montreal IRFAN, which organized person meetings.

The police followed including the frenetic activity of the Montreal telephone fundraiser, his repeated contacts with managementof IRFANMississauga.Digging his car without his knowledge, last winter, they discovered 30 received completed by hand, for donations collected between May 7, 2013 and March 21, 2014. They also found a lot of solicitation material.

When the search of his residence in April, they found $ 47,000 in cash, including marked bills that had been given to him by an undercover cop posing as a donor in March.

The man, of which we can reveal the identity for the moment, did not respond to interview requests left on his voicemail.

The IRFAN wants to defend

his part, counsel for Rasem Abdul Majid told La Presse IRFAN that wants to challenge in court its designation as a terrorist organization, but it is stuck in an "absurd" situation, because the law prevents them from using the money to pay a lawyer.

"There a serious constitutional issue. If someone was accused of terrorist acts, it could hire a lawyer and defend themselves in court. But the designation of an organization as a terrorist entity prevents the body to hire a lawyer to defend themselves, unless special permission of the Minister or a judge. Procedures will be undertaken soon on this. There are two sides to this story, "Mr. Faisal stressed Mirza.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-affaires-criminelles/affaires-criminelles/201411/30/01-4823922-dons-au-hamas-une-filiere-tres-active-a-montreal.php