Of the billions of tax {dollars} spent by the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement Workplace (USAID) which might be being questioned by the Trump administration, tens of millions went to fund terrorism.
A multi-year investigation introduced by the Justice Division and U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia reveals the scope of how funds have been utilized in one current terrorism-related case.
“The case represents one of the crucial vital diversions of USAID-funded humanitarian assist that USAID-OIG has investigated,” USAID’s Workplace of Inspector Common stated.
It concerned a Syrian nationwide, Mahmoud Al Hafyan, who was charged with illegally diverting greater than $9 million of taxpayer cash by way of USAID to armed combatant teams, together with the Al-Nusrah Entrance (ANF), a chosen international terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida in Iraq.
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In line with the indictment, Al Hafyan led a non-governmental group (NGO) in Syria, managing 160 staff.
Since Syria’s civil conflict started in 2011, and thru 2020, U.S. taxpayers funded greater than $12 billion of USAID cash to Syria supposed for meals and medical provides that was speculated to be administered by United Nations businesses and NGOs.
The NGO that Al Hafyan led acquired $122 million over a three-year interval, diverting meals kits meant for refugees to ANF commanders, based on the criticism. ANF, combating to overthrow the Syrian authorities, was recognized for committing human rights atrocities, together with conducting mass executions of civilians, suicide bombings and kidnappings.
Al Hafyan allegedly bought the meals kits on the black market to the ANF commanders, falsifying paperwork to make it seem to be refugees have been receiving the meals.
The U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia, USAID OIG, and the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division have been concerned within the case.
“This defendant not solely defrauded the U.S. authorities, however he additionally gave the humanitarian assist he stole to a international terrorist group,” U.S. Legal professional Matthew Graves stated in November. “Whereas this international terrorist group fought with the merciless al-Assad regime, the individuals who have been speculated to obtain the help suffered.”
Another examples of misuse of USAID funds prosecuted by the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia relate to a variety of fraud schemes.
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In a single case, a former govt of a digital consulting agency in Delaware agreed to pay a $100,000 settlement to resolve allegations that he knowingly triggered firm staff to submit false claims to USAID in an effort to obtain authorities contracts, overbill and cost for work that was by no means carried out, based on a 2022 criticism.
In one other case, a worldwide well being nonprofit group primarily based in San Diego agreed to pay almost $550,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims to USAID to obtain grants to purportedly present agricultural and different assist to growing nations.
In one other case, the Worldwide Rescue Committee agreed to pay $6.9 million to settle allegations beneath the False Claims Act associated to USAID-funded programming associated to the civil conflict in Syria. The cash IRC acquired was supposed for humanitarian help however IRC employees participated in a kickback scheme with a Turkish provide ring involving contract bid rigging as a substitute, based on the criticism.
In one other case, a former NGO official was sentenced to 40 months in jail for paying bribes to NGO officers in alternate for delicate procurement info associated to NGO contracts partially funded by USAID. On this case, for 5 years, a Turkmenistan citizen coordinated a bid-rigging scheme, instructed staff to deceive legislation enforcement brokers and destroyed emails associated to the investigation, based on the criticism.
In one other case, a former USAID deputy director and resident of Maryland pled responsible to expenses associated to a contract-steering scheme, conspiracy to defraud america and making false statements to legislation enforcement, based on the criticism.
Syndicated with permission from The Heart Sq..
