Duped Donations Went To DAESH (ISIS)

The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) continued Friday to hand out humanitarian aid to some 500 Lebanese families distressed from the ongoing Syrian crisis, especially in Tripoli, northern Lebanon

KUWAIT CITY, May 29: Donations in cash and kind collected by some tribes in Kuwait went directly to the Islamic State or the so-called DAESH organization although these donations were collected from Diwaniyas of former parliamentarians through street advertisements and campaigns on social networking websites in the name of ‘Help the Syrian Children and the Syrian people’, reports Al-Rai daily.

Six of those accused of funding terrorism have admitted before the Public Prosecutor to transferring a lot of money to the terrorist organization including $400,000 which was transferred recently.

However, the suspects said those (the tribesmen) who were in charge of collecting donations were unaware of what was going on but collected whatever they could in good faith to help the Syrian people. The six suspects — two Kuwaitis, two Syrians, a Saudi and an Egyptian — allegedly had formed an integrated cell and transferred the money through a in the United Arab Emirates, who owns an exchange office.

The money was sent at regular intervals and orders were given to his representatives in Syria (Aleppo and Deir Al- Zour), Turkey and Jordan to deliver the money to senior members of DAESH. The daily added, following the announcement of a campaign to collect donations for the Syrian people, three tribes responded under the slogan ‘Help your brothers in Syria’ and ‘Help the Children of Syria’. Three of the accused — two Kuwaitis and the Saudi — were responsible for collecting donations in cash and in kind. The donations in kind which came in the form of gold and cars were sold for cash.

The three defendants said that their role was only to collect funds and that they collected huge amounts of money through the three tribal campaigns, which were also called by former MPs, including former MP Dr Jama’an Al-Harbish, who had collected a large sum of money in his Diwaniya, according to the confession of the three defendants.

The three defendants said their role ended with collecting money, supposedly to be sent to the children in Syria, while the role of the two Syrians and the Egyptian was to take the money out of Kuwait without knowing the final destination. The defendants added after the money was delivered to DAESH leaders in Syria part of that money went to the injured members of the Islamic State who were being treated in Turkey and another part for members in Jordan.

The Public Prosecution has summoned for interrogation more members of the network whose names had surfaced during the interrogation with the six men. Three men have been remanded to police custody for 10 more days.