Interview- FIS ex-member: Abbassi, Nahnah and Djaballah took bribe from Saudi Arabia (part 4)

(part 4)

FIS used offered people fruit and vegetables at symbolic prices in the fasting month of Ramadan. Some accused you of money laundering. What happened?

I was in charge of those markets. We established a market in Rais Hamidou municipality because its mayor at that time was a friend of mine. He was an intellectual and comprehensive man. He was FIS’s member. The market succeeded and prices were reduced to less than 50 percent. Then, the idea was extended to all the municipalities and observers were astonished by that.

How had you got that money to reduce prices in all over Algeria?

First of all, sale places were for free as they belong to municipalities. Secondly, municipality lorries were used to transport goods in free time. That means there were no transportation fees. Thirdly, goods were directly purchased from big distributors and not from markets. Sometimes, we bought commodities directly from farmers. Some of them gave us their fruit and vegetables for free when they knew that they were for Islamist markets.

Did you discover any corruption cases in which FIS’ members were involved?

I remember that in the municipality of Bouzerea in Algiers, a case was raised. It was related to the FIS’ leader Abbassi Madani. He sent his Chief of Cabinet to Bouzerea’s mayor to give him a 1,500- square- meter- land. He gave him the half of the land but Abbassi was angry and ordered the mayor to give the Chief of Cabinet all the land. That means there were wrongdoings anyway.

Did the party keep watch on its members?

In 1990 and 1990, there was no surveillance.

In many provinces, militias tried to “apply Sharia” in the streets. Girls were obliged to wear hijab. Was that an organized action or just isolated acts?

I believe that it was an isolated attitude. You may have found a Salafist mayor trying to impose his opinion on people. Anyway, that was not dictated by the FIS.

In the First Gulf War, the FIS reacted to the invasion of Iraq. Tell us about Abbassi Madani and Ali belhadj’s tour to Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

The FIS was good in political actions. It managed to adopt big causes. It seized the opportunity of the Gulf War. Marches were organized to give aid to Iraqi people. The FIS sent many aid ships. Abbassi Madani and Ali belhadj went to Iraq and Saudi Arabia to play a mediation role. They were received by King Fahd Ben Abdelaziz and President Sadam Hussein.

After this tour, Abbassi called for anticipated presidential elections. Even when people were killed in the streets, he insisted on that demand.

What was the FIS’ position toward the invasion of Kuwait?

The FIS supported Saddam Hussein. Saudi Arabia felt the Islamist movement influence and role in Algeria. It sent a Saudi businessman who met all the Islamist movement leaders in Algeria. They were: Abbassi Madani, Mahfoud Nahnah and Abdellah Djaballah. This Saudi envoy gave a bribe to the three men and they all accepted it.

You mean that Abbassi, Nahnah and Djabalah took a bribe from Saudi Arabia to stand against the invasion of Kuwait.

That’s true and I am sure of that. Abbassi got a bank cheque and deposited it at a charity association account in Paris. It was his association and his lawyer was its president. I also knew that he ordered his lawyer to liquid the association and give the money to his children.

Do you have any evidence about that?

I am telling you facts and I bear the responsibility. I have more details about this lawyer and Abbassi’s association.

How much did he take?

It was a huge sum.

One million dollars for each one, for example?

Much more. Saudi Arabia gave billion of dollars to Russia for veto.

Do you mean that they obtained money from Saudi Arabia and did not respect the deal?

At that time, Ali Belhadj and Abbassi Madani met the Algerian defense minister Khaled Nezzar. They asked him to open training centers to mobilize and send people to Iraq.