Morocco to outlaw terrorist financing

Morocco’s parliament is adopting a draft a law which makes the financing of terrorism a criminal offence. Moroccan parliamentarians sitting on the Justice Committee in the Chamber of Representatives on Tuesday (26 February) adopted a draft law which makes the financing of terrorism a criminal offence, reported Magharebia, an online news web site dedicated to coverage of North Africa. The law aims to bring Moroccan legislation into line with international law, Magharebia quotes Interior Minister Mohand Laenser as saying, adding that the country has made great efforts in the legal field to tackle terrorism and money laundering. "One point was raised by the international financial task force, which recommends that Morocco include provisions making the financing of terrorism a criminal offence," Laenser is quotes as saying. The law would make it a criminal offence to provide funds in the knowledge that they will be partly or wholly used to commit a terrorist act or will be used by a terrorist or a terrorist organisation, Magharebia reported. It would also regard the financing of terrorism as a crime even where terrorist acts are perpetrated outside Morocco or do not take place at all. The law defines income as "all types of assets are tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, severally or jointly, as well as acts or legal documents", aufaitmaroc.com reported. Morocco toughened up its counterterrorism laws in the wake of the terrorist attacks of May 2003 in Casablanca, Political Analyst Hicham Chamili is quoted as saying. The law passed at that time was drafted and adopted in haste and that it now needs to be completely revised, as requested by human organisations and MPs, he said. Albawaba Business