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Charity funds frozen over terror plot

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: A charity, set up to raise funds for last year's earthquake in Pakistan, has had its bank accounts frozen by Britain's Charity Commission following allegations that it might be linked to the abortive airline terror plot. The Commission said it was investigating the activities of Crescent Relief.

"The allegations made are very serious, and we are taking this action to protect the charity's funds while the investigation is under way,'' an official of the commission said.

The allegations of possible abuse of Crescent Relief funds by suspected terrorists followed the arrest of Rashid Rauf by Pakistani authorities who described him as a "key figure'' behind the alleged conspiracy to blow up American planes.

His father, Abdul Rauf from Birmingham, was a co-founder of Crescent Relief, according to The Times whose claim that one of the men arrested in connection with the alleged plot was a fundraiser for Crescent Relief prompted the investigation by the Charity Commission.

Meanwhile, Tayib Rauf, one of the two sons of Mr. Abdul Rauf detained over the plot has been released without charge. As police investigations into the alleged conspiracy continued one more man was charged under the Terrorism Act, bringing the number of persons, charged so far, to 12. He was identified as Umair Hussain and he has been accused of withholding information related to the alleged plot.

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