Richard Kerbaj | July 03, 2008
MUSLIM Aid Australia could be deregistered as a charity after two separate investigations were launched yesterday into its connections with a banned terrorist group and the distribution of aid in the Palestinian territories.
The Australian Council for International Development, the charity sector's regulator, demanded access to MAA's records after the Islamic group's executive director, Iman Partoredjo, retracted an earlier admission of working with Interpal.
Interpal, a British-based humanitarian group also known as the Palestinian Relief and Development Fund, is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the Australian and US governments, but not in Britain.
The NSW Government, through its Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, confirmed it would examine MAA following The Australian's revelations that the Sydney charity worked with Interpal earlier this year to distribute aid in Gaza.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs is also considering whether to refer the case to the Australian Federal Police.
Interpal has twice been cleared of terrorism links by the British Charity Commission but failed in 2005 to have its proscribed status revoked by the Department of Foreign Affairs and remains on the DFAT's Consolidated List.
The Rudd Government declined to comment on MAA's association with Interpal but cautioned charity donors to carefully consider how their money would be spent.
"People should ensure that their donations are going to organisations that have policies in place to inform donors about why funds are being raised, and how their money will be used," Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said from Hanoi.
It is a criminal offence under the Charter of the United Nations Act for Australian individuals or organisations to deal with groups identified by the DFAT's Consolidated List.
ACFID's executive director, Paul O'Callaghan, said MAA would lose its right to apply for government funding and have its reputation tarnished if it were found to have breached the charity code of conduct.
He said MAA's Mr Partoredjo had told him yesterday that the Islamic body had misinformed The Australian about its dealings with Interpal.
"The advice ... to you on Monday apparently wasn't absolutely accurate," Mr O'Callaghan said. "They said they did not have the full information at the time they gave the (statement) to you."
The MMA admitted in its statement that it had used Interpal earlier this year to negotiate the Israeli Defence Force's "protracted border closures" of Gaza and deliver medical aid to Palestine. "Tight control over trans-shipping of aid by the IDF saw our medical aid items delivered and distributed by those able to be 'on the ground', such as UN agencies and local NGOs, e.g., United National Relief and Work Agency ... Interpal, Families Relief, etc.," the statement read.
Mr O'Callaghan said Mr Partoredjo - who has repeatedly refused to respond to interview requests by The Australian - had changed his recollection of past dealings with Interpal.
"I understand now that the executive director has now had the chance to look at the financial records of the organisation and believes that there has been no transfer of assets including distribution to Interpal," he said.
"We have sought further information from the organisation about this to confirm that there has been no breach of the Australian law."
