U.S. jury finds Jordan’s Arab Bank liable for backing terrorism

In a landmark decision, a New York jury on Monday found the Jordan-based multinational Arab Bank liable on 24 counts of supporting terrorism by transferring funds to Hamas. The verdict came after the jury deliberated for nearly two full days after a month-long trial at the eastern district court in Brooklyn that followed a federal law suit filed in 2004. The plaintiffs said the bank transferred more than $70 million to an alleged Saudi terror entity, charities they claim were a front for Hamas and 11 globally-designated terrorist clients. The bank had “a Rolodex full of Hamas customers,” and lied in its defense, the plaintiffs said in their concluding arguments.

They’re guilty. (They must have known) bad things were going to happen and that’s enough to make them responsible.

Prosecution lawyer Mark Werbner, in his concluding arguments

The trial heard that the bank was able to transfer $60,000 to Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin - who was assassinated by Israel in 2004 - due to a spelling mistake of his name, which was not detected by screening software. Shand Stephens, lawyer for Arab Bank, poured scorn on the verdict, saying it should not have been found on “evidence that thin.” The defense argued there was no evidence Arab Bank executives supported terrorism and disputed the allegation that the institution knowingly made payments to designated terrorists. A second trial would have to determine how much the Bank will be liable to pay in damages.

This verdict is going to be reversed.

Shand Stephens, lawyer for Arab Bank

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