A Syrian shipping tycoon, accused by the US of financing the Houthis and sending oil to Hezbollah, has been handed a jail sentence in the UK for lying to a court.
Abdul Jalil Mallah is sanctioned as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for his alleged involvement in deals that the US Treasury claims were worth “millions of dollars”.
Sanctions on the Houthis and an associate of Mr Mallah, Sa’id al-Jamal, have been ramped up in recent months, since the Yemen-based group began carrying out attacks on western shipping in the Red Sea.
Mr Mallah, 49, found himself taken to court in London by a US-company, Oaktree Capital Management, in a bid to recover two ships it had lent him money to buy, after it ended the deal in the wake of him being placed under sanctions.
Judge Sara Cockerill has now ruled Mr Mallah “quite deliberately lied to the court” in the case and provided “multiple false statements”, which included forged documents.
She sentenced him to 18 months in jail for contempt of court after she said he appeared to show no remorse for his actions.
OCM had provided finance for one of Mr Mallah’s companies to buy the two ships, which were then chartered by other businesses he owned, a type of deal common in the shipping world.
But when he was hit with sanctions in 2021, OCM moved to repossess the ships and eventually went to the High Court in London, which found in its favour and awarded them costs of £1 million.
He initially failed to respond to a court order to declare his assets and, when he did, gave a witness statement claiming he had not received the notice in Greece, where he was living at the time.
Mr Mallah even submitted forged documents purporting to be from the Greek authorities showing he had left the country before the notice was served, which led to a contempt of court hearing.
Judge Cockerill said it was “inherently implausible” the Greek authorities would provide personalised documents saying he has left the country and that inquiries via Interpol found these to be “counterfeit”.
Mr Mallah also made “demonstrably false” claims not to be the beneficial owner of properties in Sweden and Greece.
She found him guilty of three of the four counts he faced, including making a false statement to the court regarding his whereabouts and failing to disclose his assets.
Mr Mallah’s evidence has “been thoroughly discredited” and he “can have no justification” for his actions, said the judge, adding that there has been “no question” of acknowledging his guilt or any offer to rectify what he’s done.
Judge Cockerill also ordered a confiscation of all Mr Mallah’s assets in the UK and a warrant has been issued for his arrest as he is now living in Syria.
One of the vessels in the dispute, the Amethyst, was repossessed in Sharjah but the other, the Courage, sailed on to Syrian waters.
Both the OCM-owned companies and Mr Mallah’s are all registered in the Marshall Islands.
According to the US authorities, Mr Mallah facilitated transactions worth millions of dollars to Swaid and Sons, a Yemen-based exchange house associated with the Houthis.
He has worked with Sa’id al-Jamal to send millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil to Hezbollah.
Al-Jamal, an Iran-based Houthi financial supporter, directs a network of front companies and vessels that smuggle Iranian fuel, petroleum products and other commodities to customers throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
The US Treasury says “a significant portion of the revenue generated from these sales is directed through a complex international network of intermediaries and exchange houses to the Houthis”.
Mr Mallah has been placed under sanctions for having “materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa’id al-Jamal”.
In March, the US issued fresh sanctions targeting two companies and two vessels that the Treasury Department said had facilitated commodities shipments on behalf of Mr al-Jamal
The action targets two Hong Kong and Marshall Islands-based ship owners and two vessels for their role in shipping commodities.
In February, Mr al-Jamal was also placed under sanctions by the UK along with units of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps for enabling the work of the Houthis.
Mr Mallah has been approached by The National for comment.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Ireland v Denmark: The last two years
Denmark 1-1 Ireland
7/06/19, Euro 2020 qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
19/11/2018, Nations League
Ireland 0-0 Denmark
13/10/2018, Nations League
Ireland 1 Denmark 5
14/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
11/11/2017, World Cup qualifier
World%20Cup%202023%20ticket%20sales
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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
HAJJAN
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