FOUR men and two women have been charged following a major garda investigation into money laundering and international terrorist financing.
The six Uzbek and Irish nationals are facing more than 200 charges between them and were arrested and brought before Dublin District Court today.
They are all facing trial and Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned their cases for the preparation of books of evidence.
Fatime Jabbarov (43) of Gravel Walk Court, Blackhall Place, Dublin 1; Muhammad Amin (37) of Summer Street North, Dublin 1 and Dawood Mhadhbi (22) of Dodderbrook Terrace, Ballycullen are charged with money laundering.
Oybek Jabbarov (45) and Atica Umat (68) of Gravel Walk Court, and Abdurahim Mhadhbi (25) of Dodderbrook Terrace, are also charged with providing, collecting or receiving funds for the benefit of a terrorist group.
The offences are under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act and are alleged to have dated back several years to the early 2010s.
Mr Jabbarov faces a further charge of directing the activities of a criminal organisation, between 2009 and 2019.
Gardai gave evidence of the six accused’s arrest, charge and caution.
In reply to some charges, Ms Umat said: “it’s not terrorism, it’s my son, he has four wives”; “to my son, my family” and “he is my son, his wives have children.”
She also made no reply to other charges. Ms Jabbarov a mother-of-three, had 19 charges, the court heard. Her replies when cautioned were: “I sent it to my family, not terrorists”; “It’s probably my husband’s family”; “just my husband’s family”; “this is money I managed for my mother-in-law”; “I can’t tell”; “I sent it to my husband’s family”; “it’s family”; “it’s family, not terrorists” and “it’s my mother-in-law’s money”.
She also said “no comment”, “just OK” and made no reply to other counts.
Mr Amin and Abdurahim Mhadhbi made no reply to any of the charges after caution. Dawood Mhadhbi said when charged with two money laundering offences: “I don’t recall it.”
Detective Sergeant Deirdre Ryan said Oybek Jabbarov was charged with 101 offences – 50 counts of money laundering, 50 of terrorist financing and one of directing the activities of a criminal organisation.
Gardai had no objections to bail for any of the accused, with conditions.
Judge Smyth granted Mr Jabbarov bail on his first hundred charges, in his own bond of €1,000 and an independent surety of €1,000, half in cash. However, the district court did not have jurisdiction to deal with bail on the charge of directing the activities of a criminal organisation.
Mr Jabbarov was remanded in custody with consent to bail to September 19.
The five co-accused were remanded on bail in their own bonds of €500 with no cash lodgements required, to October 23.
Under bail conditions, all six are to sign on at garda stations and live at their given addresses.
They are to notify the gardai of any change of address, surrender passports if they have any within 24 hours of taking up bail and not apply for other travel documents. They are to provide mobile numbers to gardai within 48 hours and be contactable at all times. The accused are also to refrain from sending money out of the jurisdiction. Abdurahim Mhadhbi’s solicitor Cian McCann asked the judge not to prohibit him from sending money but rather to put a “cap” on it. He said his client was sending a remittance of €150 per week home to Uzbekistan. Gardai objected and Judge Smyth refused the defence application, saying he did not think the condition was unreasonable given the charges.
Mr Jabbarov was a former truck driver with no assets or savings, his solicitor Donal Quigley said in a legal aid application. Judge Smyth granted free legal aid to all accused except Dawood and Abdurahim Mhadhbi, who reserved their positions and did not apply at this time.
None of the accused have entered pleas yet.
Source: Sunday World
