JEDDAH, 15 September — Two Saudi brothers, Mohammed ibn Mahfouz and Saleh ibn Mahfouz, whose names have been included in the law suit filed by 1,400 relatives of 9/11 victims in a Manhattan court, have denied the charges against them.
They have entrusted a lawyers’ firm in New York to defend them against the false allegations leveled against them, Al-Watan daily reported quoting informed sources.
The victims’ kin charged Iraq and several Saudi individuals and organizations as providers of financial and logistical support to Al-Qaeda network, which is suspected to have carried out the terror attacks in Washington and New York last year. The relatives also demanded damages running into trillions of dollars.
Ibn Mahfouz brothers consulted Arnold Porter’s law firm on the charges leveled against them, source said, adding that the brothers did not have any links with Al-Qaeda or any other terrorist movement.
The source pointed out that British authorities have already cleared the International Charitable Development Foundation, a charity run by the brothers of involvement in terror activities.
In another lawsuit filed at the US District Court in Washington, relatives of hundreds of people killed in the attacks accused seven international banks, eight Islamic foundations and charities, the government of Sudan and a number of individuals of helping to fund terrorist activities.
The lawsuit, filed by individuals from across the United States and at least six other countries, asked for damages exceeding $100 trillion.
Oqail Al-Oqail, director general of Al-Haramain, recently told Arab News that US investigators had not found any reason to convict his foundation or any other Saudi organization following the Sept. 11 attacks.
“So the lawsuit for compensation is a futile exercise,” he added.
Al-Oqail said the lawsuit was aimed at arousing suspicions on Islamic and charitable activities.
Haramain, based in Riyadh, has its presence in 54 countries around the world with 40 branches in the Kingdom. According to a report in Asharq Al-Awsat, the group of family members and survivors accused seven international banks operating mainly in the Middle East, eight Islamic foundations and charities of helping to fund Al-Qaeda.
