JEDDAH, 27 October 2006 — The authors of a controversial book that falsely alleged that two leading Saudi businessmen were involved in the financing of terrorism have publicly apologized saying that the allegations were “entirely and manifestly false.”
Authors Jean-Charles Brisard and Guillaume Dasquie made the allegations about Khalid Bin Mahfouz and his son Abdulrahman Bin Mahfouz in a controversial book called The Forbidden Truth (La Verite Interdite). The book was widely circulated in a number of countries since 2001. Brisard also made similar allegations about Khalid Bin Mahfouz in a report entitled “Terrorism Financing” that he submitted to the UN in 2002.
In their written apology, Brisard and Dasquie said, “The book and the report contain very serious and highly defamatory allegations about Khalid Bin Mahfouz and Abdulrahman Bin Mahfouz, alleging support for terrorism through their businesses, families and charities, and directly. As a result of what we now know, we accept and acknowledge that all of those allegations about you and your families, businesses and charities are entirely and manifestly false.”
The two authors added: “We have learned nothing since the publication of the book and the report which suggests there is any evidence supporting the allegations. We therefore now unreservedly withdraw all of the allegations about you both in the book and the report and confirm that we will never repeat them. “We appreciate the very serious damage that has been caused to your reputation by these allegations. We also accept that the allegations caused you and your family very great distress. For all of this we are truly sorry.”
According to Kendall Freeman — the lawyers representing the two Saudi businessmen — the apologies follow court proceedings brought by Khalid and Abdulrahman Bin Mahfouz in the UK and Switzerland in relation to both the book and the report. Brisard and Dasquie have also agreed to the publication of the apology in a number of newspapers and publications around the world and have agreed to arrange for the book to be withdrawn and have made a payment of substantial damages, which the two businessmen are donating to UNICEF.
