Fugitive contractor Mohamed Ali carries out money laundering for Muslim Brotherhood: sources

CAIRO – 21 September 2020: After his calls for protests on Sunday had failed miserably, sources revealed to Egypt Today that fugitive contractor Mohamed Ali is tied with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood through financial partnerships.

The sources explained that Amlak Company Ali announced its launching in Spain a few weeks ago is co-founded by him and Palestinian businessman Abdel Rahman Abou Deya who runs media outlets affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The sources clarified that such partnership is considered a money laundering activity as the company is a cover for illegitimate funding received by the brotherhood and transacted among European capital cities.

The sources unveiled that there is a pending project between the contractor – who fled Egypt in 2019 amid failure to pay back creditors - and the brotherhood. That is launching a TV channel from a European capital. Most probably it will be airing from London, and chaired by Osama Gawish, TV presenter affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood. The measures required to launch the channel is facing impediments.

Islamic Groups Affairs Expert Hishm al-Nagar tells Egypt Today that it is not unlikely that the brotherhood leaders get involved in illegal acts. He clarifies that all "political Islam" groups, whether Sunni or Shiite, carry out illegitimate activities embodied in illegal drug trade, money laundering, illegal currency trade, arms trafficking, and human smuggling. The expert says they commit such crimes under the motto "the goal justifies the means" given they need sources of funding for their activities.

Nagar adds that the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, Hamas, and others are interconnected, and sponsored by certain states and individuals who aim to expand Islamists' activities in Africa, including those of Qaeda and the Islamic State. The expert points out that some European countries are implicated, highlighting that the Muslim Brotherhood's self-promoted image is assuming charity and Daawa "Muslim missionary" work.

As for the connection between Ali and the brotherhood, the expert says that for the former to get out of financial trouble, he has been cooperating by the brotherhood by propagating their discourse on matters of public interest. In return, the group uses him to cover up illegitimate funding transactions.