Guardian: Doha intimidated witnesses in terror financing case

The British police have opened investigations into Doha's intimidation and threatening witnesses in a case accusing "Doha Bank" of financing Jabhet Al-Nusra (classified on the list of international terrorism) in Syria, and that Qatar used in the case armed and masked men to intimidate witnesses.

The counterterrorism police have been tasked with investigating accusations that witnesses and plaintiffs in a terrorism financing case have been intimidated by officials in the State of Qatar, as reported to the Supreme Court.

Allegations of corruption and obstruction of justice surfaced during a court hearing in London on Wednesday in a case related to a compensation lawsuit filed by eight Syrian refugees against Doha Bank, whose main headquarters is in the Qatari capital.

Lawyer Ben Emerson, who represents 4 of the Syrian prosecutors, told the Supreme Court that interference with justice had taken the form of "prosecution, intimidation, pressure, secret illegal surveillance abroad, threats of visits by armed and masked men during the night, and attempted bribery and temptations."

Prosecutors say they fled to the Netherlands after Jabhat al-Nusra, a terrorist group that controls parts of northern Syria where Turkey is now located, destroyed their lives and homes, and that they are suing the bank because it was used to transfer money to the terrorist group, which is banned in the UK.

A police spokesman confirmed, "on November 9, they received allegations related to financing terrorism, perverting the course of justice and intimidating witnesses," adding that these allegations are currently being examined by officers from the Counter-Terrorism Command.

For her part, Judge Rosalind Kuo-kyu, reluctantly agreed to delay the case so that it could be managed more forcefully and collect stronger evidence, that the matter was unusual, and that the case contained very serious allegations.

After the hearing, Jason McCoy, senior partner in the law firm McCoy & Co., said, "It's clear that the plaintiffs will not get a fair trial if the terror campaign continues."

"We have faith that the British justice system will deal appropriately with these matters," McCoy added.

J.O