U.S. Treasury Sanctions 'Hizbullah Financiers' in Guinea

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated two “key Hizbullah financiers” operating in Guinea, a statement said.

“This action is aimed at disrupting Hizbullah’s business network in West Africa, which relies on bribery and influence to circumvent the rule of law. In addition to other sources of funding, Hizbullah generates revenue from commercial activities across the world to sponsor acts of terrorism,” the U.S. statement added.

It said the designation demonstrates Treasury’s ongoing efforts to target the group’s “international commercial activities and its global network of financiers, supporters, donors, and facilitators, which enable Hizbullah to persistently threaten the security, stability, and prosperity of Lebanon and other jurisdictions.”

“With this action, Treasury continues to expose businessmen who support Hizbullah’s destabilizing activities through bribes and other corrupt activity,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The illicit financial activity of those designated today not only props up Hizbullah, but also undermines the legitimate commercial sector and rule of law in countries where such financial activity takes place,” he added.

The statement designated the two individuals as Ali Saade and Ibrahim Taher, describing them as “prominent Lebanese businessmen with direct connections to Hizbullah.”

“Saade initiates the money transfers from Guinea to Hizbullah, transferring funds through Hizbullah representatives in Guinea and Lebanon. Taher has been identified as one of the most prominent financial supporters of Hizbullah in Guinea. He is believed to employ a number of individuals affiliated with Hizbullah within the country,” the statement said.

They are being designated for “having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hizbullah.”

The statement added that Saade has “a close relationship with designated Hizbullah supporter Kassem Tajideen whom OFAC designated in 2009 for being an important financial contributor to Hizbullah.”

At the time of his designation, Tajideen had “contributed tens of millions of dollars to Hizbullah and ran cover companies for Hizbullah in Africa with his brothers,” the Treasury said.

“Saade was Tajideen’s primary political contact in Guinea. He made significant efforts to provide Tajideen with unrestricted access to corrupt members of the former Guinean administration at the highest levels and the rest of the Guinean government. Saade also advised Tajideen on methods for making financial transfers to evade detection by regulators,” the Treasury added.

Taher and an associate meanwhile sent U.S. dollars collected at one of their commercial facilities to Conakry Airport and bribed Guinean customs officials to allow their currency to pass in luggage, the statement said.

“Taher has used his status as an Honorary Consul of Lebanon to Cote d’Ivoire to travel in and out of Guinea with minimal scrutiny,” it added.