Massive Tax Fraud Scheme in Denmark Linked to Jihadists/Terrorism

Footing the bill for IS? Jihadists embroiled in massive tax fraud scheme in Denmark, reports say

© Reuters / Scanpix Denmark / Claus Fisker

Two men accused of defrauding the Danish Treasury of millions of dollars in unpaid value-added tax (VAT) are jihadists who may have used their shady businesses to finance terrorists in Syria, according to Danish media reports.

An investigation carried out by Dagbladet Information and Jyllands-Posten found that a large-scale VAT scam in Denmark has ties to Islamic extremists.

The Danish papers revealed that 14 businessmen operated a network that failed to hand over DKK 800 million (about $120 million) in unpaid VAT, and that two of the alleged fraudsters are jihadists with allegiances to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

The two suspected terrorists are said to have operated a number of companies that went bankrupt, leaving behind a tax bill of at least DKK 97 million ($14.5 million) in VAT, as well as a DKK 66 million (almost $10 million) debt to private creditors.

While the investigation was not able to determine where the money went, analysts told the two papers that they suspected the cash was used to fund terrorism.

“It is double as serious if a scam goes through and the money is used to undermine our society,” said Lars Krull, a senior adviser at Aalborg University and an expert in money laundering. He added that he feared the scheme could have financed foreign militants.

Professor Tom Kirchmaier, a researcher of financial crime at Copenhagen Business School and the London School of Economics, was puzzled by the fact that the Danish government hasn’t done more to prevent such scams from occurring.

“If you are to stop the jihadists, you have to stop their financing. And this starts with stopping the scams,” he told the papers.

Otherwise, the Danish government is paying for the very terrorism that plagues it. 

In August there were two explosions in Copenhagen in just 4 days, one damaging a police station.

Warning: A Most Uncivil Law Is Coming - The War on Christianity - USA

Now that Democrats have the majority in Congress, assaults on the pillars of Christianity should be expected by a godless horde

CRAIG PARSHALL/NRB

(Photo by Christian Sterk on Unsplash)

A vote in the House of Representatives could come as early as this Thursday on H.R. 5, the contentious bill that would place nearly all Christian ministries, religious organizations and faith-based companies in the crosshairs of discrimination lawsuits. The bill looks almost certain to pass in the House. Although passage in the Senate may be doubtful, the sheer audacity of this legislation should be taken as a cautionary tale.

The law adds sexual orientation and transgender identity as protected categories and then wildly expands the list of activities and organizations impacted by the civil rights law to include any public "gathering," "exhibition," "display" or anything involving the provision of goods or "any service or program." During one House subcommittee hearing, employment law expert Lawrence Lorber flatly acknowledged that the bill would apply to "churches" and "houses of worship."

The vast scope of H.R. 5 is best illustrated by the fact that, unlike prior civil rights laws that were limited to activities at physical locations, this legislation extends to cyberspace. It would apply to any group that offers retail sales or services "online." Any Christian organization, ministry or business with a website could be at risk.

Most startling of all, H.R. 5 expressly targets for extinction the religious liberties of faith-based organizations. The bill blatantly states that the protections of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)—the law guarding rights of religious conscience that was upheld by the Supreme Court in the Hobby Lobby case—will not apply to these new civil rights laws.

In the past, when controversial issues of gay rights-versus-religious freedom arose in Congress, the question of accommodating religious liberty customarily had a place at the table. As general counsel for NRB, I had the privilege of testifying several times in the Senate and in the House on the need for religious protections. But that was then. Today, the hostility against orthodox belief seems almost palpable. 

Record 12 Billion Rubles in CASH Seized from Arrested FSB Officer

Being a colonel in Russia's FSB probably pays well, but not that well!
Corruption is Everywhere - Definitely in Russian Police Services

FILE PHOTO. ©  Global Look Press / Silas Stein

Some 12 billion rubles ($185 million) in cash has been reportedly seized from an FSB colonel facing charges of large scale corruption – overshadowing the notorious case of Colonel Zakharchenko and his record of 8.5 billion rubles.

The piles of cash – literally – were discovered at three apartments belonging to FSB Colonel Kirill Cherkalin and, allegedly, to his allies, Russian media reported on Friday, citing sources close to the investigation. Aside from cash, a whole collection of luxury wristwatches and other treasures were seized as well.

The funds were allegedly provided to the official and two of his accomplices by various banks and other businesses for “protection.”

“We believe these funds have been received for a general ‘patronage’ from representatives of several commercial firms, first of all from directors of banks,” a source told Rosbalt.

On Thursday, Colonel Cherkalin, who has served as the head of the FSB department on cyber security in the banking sphere, was charged with receiving a hefty bribe of $850 thousand (some 55 million rubles) from a commercial firm. Cherkalin and his two accomplices – both of them are retired FSB Colonels – were arrested earlier this year and remain in custody by court ruling.

Col. Cherkalin resisted arrest and wound up with a broken arm.

If confirmed, the sum of 12 billion rubles will mark the largest-ever amount of cash, seized from a corrupt official in Russia. Prior to this, the dubious ‘record’ was held by police colonel, Dmitry Zakharchenko.

While holding a senior anti-corruption post, Zakharchenko managed to amass a whopping 8.5 billion rubles (some $ 131.5 million) in cash, allegedly extorting bribes from various businessmen. The hearings on the Zakharchenko case continue, earlier this week a prosecutor asked the court to sentence the former law enforcer to 15 and a half years behind bars.

Sri Lanka Declares State of Emergency as Sectarian Violence Erupts

By Sara Shayanian  

A state of emergency in Sri Lanka prompted the deployment of police officers and soldiers to civilian-populated areas, after clashes between Muslim and Buddhist communities. File Photo by M.A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA-EFE

UPI -- Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency Tuesday after violence erupted between Sinhalese and Muslim communities.

Officials said soldiers will be deployed to civilian areas for ten days, and a curfew was put in place.

Sinhalese - a people originally from northern India, now forming the majority of the population of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's government condemned recent arson attacks and riots in the central district of Kandy -- which damaged some places of worship, residences and businesses. Similar violence occurred last month when mobs set fire to Muslim-owned businesses and a mosque.

"The government also condemned the hate and mischievous targeting the Muslim community in particular and another as well, with the clear objective of creating among communities and inciting violence," officials said in a statement.

"The government urged for total cooperation from all citizens irrespective of any communal, religious differences to build a nation that is stable, peaceful and the progressive where diversity is respected."

Tensions flared in the country after a group of Muslim men were accused of killing a Buddhist man. The body of a 24-year-old Muslim man was later found in the town of Digana.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe tweeted Monday that the government would not hesitate to take action against the violence.

"As a nation that endured a brutal war we are all aware of the values of peace, respect, unity & freedom," Wickremesinghe said.

Alan Keenan, a Sri Lanka specialist with the International Crisis Group, said radical Buddhist groups -- who make up 75 percent of the population -- have targeted Muslims with "a significant degree of regularity" in the last five years.

"One of the key underlying elements is the sense that many Sinhalese and Buddhists have is that Sri Lanka is a Sinhalese and Buddhist island and other community, Muslims and Tamils, are here on the sufferance of the majority," Keenan said.

Sounds like Burma! Peace preaching Buddhists in Asia are seeming to become much more violent in their quest to hold on to historical lands in the face of increasing numbers of Muslims - the religion of Peace. Don't you just love irony?