| | | Date: Nov 23, 2018 | | Source: The Daily Star |  |  |  |
| | Syrian 'Toy Smuggler' jailed for donation fraud | Agence France Presse
HELSINKI: A Helsinki court Wednesday found a Finnish-Syrian man who won global media fame for distributing toys to orphans in Syria guilty of money laundering and fraud.
Rami Adham, dubbed the "Toy Smuggler" for his campaign to collect money for orphans in the war-ravaged town of Aleppo, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for mis-directing charitable funds, and collecting over 300,000 euros ($342,000) in donations without the correct permits.
The district court found that funds raised while Adham was chair of the Finnish-Syrian Association did not all go directly to help people in Syria, as claimed.
Instead, 62,000 euros were spent on a cabin in a garden allotment. The court rejected Adham's explanation that the money came from his uncle in Saudi Arabia.
"It is also a clear fact that the purchase in question was not paid for out of personal funds," the written judgement said.
The judge declared that Adham's three previous convictions meant a prison sentence was necessary. Finnish media has reported his prior convictions include tax fraud, drug offences and assault.
The 46-year-old father of six had gained internet fame and media attention by making trips to the besieged Syrian city to bring toys and financial help to Syrian orphans.
But in 2016 Finnish police said they had received several requests for investigation from citizens suspecting Adham might have withheld part of the donations.
Before the trial Adham denied the accusations, claiming he delivered aid for the children in different forms, not only in cash. |
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