Defunct Columbia, Mo., Charity Accused of Sending Money to Afghan Terrorist

Jan 16, 06:39 PM

Jan. 16--A Kansas City grand jury has charged a defunct charity in Columbia with sending money to an Afghan terrorist with ties to al Qaida and the Taliban.

The indictment, returned early this afternoon, also accuses a former U.S. congressman of money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

The new charges were added to an earlier indictment that charged the Islamic American Relief Agency and several of its officers with sending money to Iraq during Saddam Hussein's reign in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to the new charges, the charity sent about $130,000 in 2003 and 2004 to bank accounts in Pakistan, allegedly for an orphanage housed in buildings owned by Glubuddin Hekmatyar, an Afghan mujahideen leader.

The U.S. government designated Hekmatyar as a global terrorist in February 2003 because of his links to al Qaida and the Taliban.

The new charges also accuse Mark Deli Siljander, who represented Michigan in Congress from 1981-1987, of receiving $50,000 from the charity in 2004. Siljander, who operates a Washington D.C. public relations firm, was hired to lobby Congress to remove the charity from a U.S. Senate Finance Committee list of non-profit organizations suspected of being involved in supporting international terrorism.

To contact Mark Morris, federal courts reporter, call 816-234-4310 or send e-mail to mmorris@kcstar.com.

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