CAIRO: The United Nations’ Security Council removed prominent businessman and member of the Muslim Brotherhood Youssef Nada from the international terrorists list based on a request by the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Ikwanweb, Swiss Ambassador in the UN Paul Seger said, “Switzerland has called for the reform of the United Nations’ terrorist blacklist for some time and resumed further efforts with various parties to gain approval for reform, especially after the Attorney-General s office investigations of the financing of terrorism abandoned the case for lack of evidence.
After the 9/11 attacks, Nada, 78, was accused by the Bush administration of money laundering and financing Al-Qaeda. He was also accused of funding the attacks.
He has a dual Egyptian-Italian citizenship and has been living and working in Switzerland for almost 20 years. The most recent post he held in 2001 was the CEO of Al-Taqwa Bank in Switzerland.
In February 2007, Egypt froze his assets, along with 39 other Brotherhood members. Nada was tried and received a 10-year jail sentence in absentia in 2008.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera Wednesday, Nada said that Swiss and Italian authorities, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as around 12 other foreign authorities have been investigating him and monitoring his investments for many years.
“At the end no one was able to prove anything, Nada said.
The UN Security Council also removed Ghaleb Himmat, a Syrian businessman and one of Nada’s associates in Al-Taqwa Bank, from the list.
Himmat has also been living and working in Switzerland for several years.
Nada told Ikhwanweb, “It is a victory for justice and truth. It was unexpected but God rewarded our patience, and our innocence was proved, Himmat said.
According to Ikhwanweb, Himmat is considering filing charges against the countries that falsely accused him of terrorism. Nada said he might follow suit but “not anytime soon.
“My main concern now is to recover from the psychological trauma that I have suffered for eight long years, Nada told Ikhwanweb.
