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03-29-2010, 12:53 PM
Hamas security men seize money from Gaza bank
29 Mar 2010 16:40:19 GMT
Source: *******
* Hamas men take $400,000 in challenge to banking authority
* Banking authority calls strike, urges "rule of law"
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, March 29 (*******) - Hamas security forces took $400,000 from a bank in the Gaza Strip on Monday, in a direct challenge to Palestinian authorities in the West Bank who had frozen the money to comply with money laundering regulations.
Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, said the men were executing a court order to seize the assets of a medical organisation, the Patient's Friend Association.
Seeking to apply global regulations against money laundering, the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) froze the association's account after its board fell under Hamas control, banking sources said. Hamas is defined as a terrorist organisation by Western powers.
It seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from forces loyal to Fatah, a party led by President Mahmoud Abbas.Abbas still controls the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.
The PMA described Monday's seizure, the first time Hamas had challenged the authority, as a "sinful attack". Ehab Al-Ghsain, spokesman for the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, said Monday's move was "the implementation of a judicial decision".
The association had "resorted to court after the Fatah government froze its account in the bank," he said. One employee of the Bank of Palestine, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, said the Hamas policemen had forced the staff to open the bank's vault and acted "aggressively".
"They took 1.5 million shekels ($400,000) and signed a paper showing the amount of money they had taken," the employee said.
Article continued at http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE62S1O8.htm
29 Mar 2010 16:40:19 GMT
Source: *******
* Hamas men take $400,000 in challenge to banking authority
* Banking authority calls strike, urges "rule of law"
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, March 29 (*******) - Hamas security forces took $400,000 from a bank in the Gaza Strip on Monday, in a direct challenge to Palestinian authorities in the West Bank who had frozen the money to comply with money laundering regulations.
Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, said the men were executing a court order to seize the assets of a medical organisation, the Patient's Friend Association.
Seeking to apply global regulations against money laundering, the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) froze the association's account after its board fell under Hamas control, banking sources said. Hamas is defined as a terrorist organisation by Western powers.
It seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from forces loyal to Fatah, a party led by President Mahmoud Abbas.Abbas still controls the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.
The PMA described Monday's seizure, the first time Hamas had challenged the authority, as a "sinful attack". Ehab Al-Ghsain, spokesman for the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, said Monday's move was "the implementation of a judicial decision".
The association had "resorted to court after the Fatah government froze its account in the bank," he said. One employee of the Bank of Palestine, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, said the Hamas policemen had forced the staff to open the bank's vault and acted "aggressively".
"They took 1.5 million shekels ($400,000) and signed a paper showing the amount of money they had taken," the employee said.
Article continued at http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE62S1O8.htm