Military

DATE=11/08/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= SWITZERLAND/BIN LADEN (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-282877

BYLINE=DALE GAVLAK

DATELINE=GENEVA

///EDS: ALT. TO CR 2-282860///

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Swiss authorities, in concert with their European counterparts, have moved to block bank accounts tied to a Swiss-based company that, the United States believes, is linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Dale Gavlak reports from Geneva.

TEXT: Swiss authorities say they have blocked all bank accounts of the firm Nada Management Organization, which was previously known as Al Taqwa Management.

A spokesman for the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's office, Hansjurg Mark Wiedmar, says it is still unclear at this stage just how much money has been frozen. He says thousands of pages of documents were also seized.

/// WIEDMAR ACT ///

There were a lot of documents. We are still looking into these documents. This is going to take a longer time, so it is too early to comment on the contents of these documents.

/// END WIEDMAR ACT ///

Mr. Wiedmar says Swiss authorities have been searching out suspected terrorist money since September 15th.

/// 2ND WIEDMAR ACT ///

In the course of the investigation, we have been following all cases of suspicious money in Swiss accounts. There have been accounts blocked before, and (they) have been de-blocked again. But one week ago, we confirmed another blocking of 24 Swiss bank accounts with the amounts totaling 12-million U-S dollars.

/// END 2ND WIEDMAR ACT ///

Mr. Wiedmar says, however, that these 24 accounts have no direct connection to Al-Taqwa.

Swiss authorities say they also questioned two top officials of the firm and later released them.

The two Arab financiers holding Italian passports are suspected of channeling money into Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network through the Nada Management Organization. (Signed)

NEB/DG/TW