The Times of London ran a remarkable expose on Yassir Arafat’s financial corruption – with some damning insider testimony:
THE Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, has enriched a privileged inner circle of cronies and salted away billions of dollars in secret bank accounts, according to his former treasurer.
Jaweed Al-Ghussein, 74, described last week how, during his 12 years as chairman of the Palestine National Fund, the financial arm of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, he gave Arafat a monthly cheque for $10.25m — amounting to $123m (£67m) every year.
He was told the money was being spent on the Palestinian movement’s paramilitaries and on families who had lost “martyrs” in the struggle…
“The money often serves no purpose for the people, while lining the pockets of cronies,” he said. He identified alleged rackets overseen by Arafat’s friends, including the distribution of cigarettes and the awarding of television licences.
“Before Oslo these people had no money. Now look at them,” Al-Ghussein said. “It is clear where their money comes from.”
Read the whole thing.
