Convicted terrorist Mohammed Hasnath has been caught swindling the public out of £200,000 that he and his accomplice Ms Ruksana Ali claimed was to provide aid for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Hasnath, resident in Blair Street Poplar at the time the terrorism crimes occurred, pleaded guilty to four charges of terrorism in June 2012 and was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment.
The charges related to having copies of the al-Qaida magazine Inspire on his computer.
Rohingya Muslim fraud
Hasnath and Ali created a Your Caring account (now part of Go Fund Me) in July 2017 and up until a Charity Commission enquiry started in 2019 falsely claimed to be fundraising.
Neither created a proper registered charity and instead deposited money raised in six personal accounts and one PayPal account.
Total ‘charitable funds’ raised and held within the multiple accounts amounted to £213,898.60.
When the accounts were frozen by the Charity Commission as part of its enquiry the balance was around £145,149.79, leaving £68,748.81 unaccounted for.
The Charity Commission could not confirm if any charitable expenditure had actually occurred.
It is not known if criminal charges will be brought against the pair.
‘Gay free zone’ hate campaign
In 2011 Hasnath was also involved in the gay free zone hate campaign in Tower Hamlets. He pleaded guilty to a public order offence and was fined £100 plus £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge after he put up posters around the borough declaring it a ‘gay free zone’.
Be warned
‘Mohammed Hasnath’s name first surfaced when he was found guilty of participating in the notorious gay free zone hate campaign, and again when he was convicted for terrorism related offences,’ says Poplar resident Jack Gilbert, who is current Chair of Lansbury ward panel and former CEO of Rainbow Hamlets.
‘Now it appears he is pocketing the hard earned donations of local people in the name of charity. Local people in Poplar and Lansbury does not need such evil people in our midst. Be warned.’
Funds given to real charities
At the conclusion of the investigation the frozen funds were given by the Charity Commission to two Rohingya charities which actually do what they claim to do.
Related Internet Links
- Charity Inquiry: funds raised for the prevention and relief of poverty of Rohingya Refugees – Charity Commission
- Mohammed Abdul Hasnath in court over terrorism charges – BBC
- Mohammed Abdul Hasnath jailed for 14 months over terror charges – BBC
- Teenager admits terror charges over al-Qaida magazine found on computer – Guardian
- Extremist views ‘encourage action’ – East London and West Essex Guardian
- Jihadists on the loose – At least 20 terrorists back in London where they committed offences that put them in prison – The Sun
- Man who put up ‘gay free zone’ posters in London sentenced over al-Qaida material – Pink News
- Man fined for east London ‘gay free zone’ stickers – BBC
- Gay Free Zone conviction is disturbing
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