British Court Accuses Pub Owner of Funding ISIS in Syria
ERBIL, KRG, Iraq (North Press) – A British court accused a former pub owner of funding the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. The defendant is believed to have taken advantage of the UK government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme to send thousands of British pounds in cash to the ISIS terrorist organization in Syria.
According to the Guardian, Tarek Namouz, 42, a former pub owner from London of no fixed address, faces eight charges of entering into a terror funding arrangement on dates between November 2020 and May 2021. He is also accused of two counts of possessing terrorist information, with no further details.
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay said it was alleged that the defendant sent “the proceeds of coronavirus bounce back funding loans to ISIS.”
The bounce back loan scheme was introduced in the UK in May 2020, six weeks into the country’s first COVID-19 lockdown. The scheme was aimed at supporting small British businesses, with £47bn paid out in loans from commercial banks guaranteed by the state.
The defendant’s lawyer said that his client “intends to appeal the charges” and would file a petition to appeal in July.