Police officers are investigating potential terrorism funding allegations linked to a Croydon-based international development charity.
Last week, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the Al-Khair Foundation and restricted its spending as the regulator looks into an allegation that the charity and its partners had connections to Hamas and had funded the organisation.
This followed the charity submitting a serious incident report after an employee of one of its implementing partner organisations overseas, Mohammad Yousef Hasna, was detained during a visit to the UK on 31 July on suspicion of terrorism offences.
Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London has now confirmed it too is investigating concerns in relation to the charity and carried out two searches at Croydon properties on 31 July.
“No arrests have been made in connection with this investigation. Enquiries are ongoing and we also remain in contact with the Charity Commission in relation to this matter,” a CTP London spokesperson said.
“We are also aware of an arrest and investigation led by US authorities into allegations against a UK-based individual linked to funding of a terrorist organisation.
“The FBI are leading the investigation in relation to that individual, although CTP London remain in contact with colleagues in the US over this matter.”
The US Department of Justice published a press release on 31 July announcing Hasna’s arrest in the UK, describing him as the global director of an unnamed “sham charity”.
In a new statement, the Al-Khair Foundation said it is “a purely humanitarian organisation and unreservedly condemns violence of all kinds, including terrorism”.
“Serious allegations have been made about Mohammad Hasna, and we are cooperating in full with the relevant authorities,” the statement reads.
“Through the statutory inquiry we are answering all questions from the Charity Commission, and we will continue to assist the police with their ongoing enquiries.
“Mr Hasna is not an employee of Al-Khair Foundation but works for one of our many implementing partners overseas. We voluntarily provided information about this to the Charity Commission on 2 August, and we will provide more detail through the statutory inquiry.
“We became aware of this matter late on 31 July. We swiftly compiled a serious incident report which, we filed with the Charity Commission on 2 August – three days before the statutory inquiry began.”
