Qatar Accused of Witness Intimidation

Britain’s counter-terrorism police are investigating claims that Qatar left a group of Syrian refugees in “fear of their lives” to thwart a court case in which its state-run bank was accused of being involved in funding terrorism in Syria.

Eight refugees had lodged a case for damages at London’s High Court against the Qatari Doha Bank and two Qatari wealthy brothers, Moutaz and Ramez Al Khayyat.

The brothers were described as two “prominent Syrian/Qatari businessmen over the funding of Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda affiliate. They used accounts at Doha Bank to channel extensive funds to the group during the Syrian civil war.

But in a last-minute twist, the claimants contacted the UK’s counter-terrorism police to report claims of threats, bribery and intimidation against them by the state of Qatar, possibly even the emir himself.

There are serious allegations that agents and supporters of the state of Qatar carried out alleged acts of criminality, terrorism or espionage on British soil, in a concerted attempt to intimidate and coerce witnesses and claimants to prevent the British courts hearing evidence of Qatar’s funding of Al Nusra terrorism.

The trial will examine accusations that Doha Bank, the largest shareholder of which is the Qatar Investment Authority, the state’s sovereign wealth fund, failed to stop the transfers of money to extremists by the brothers.