Islamic Charity Indicted

An Islamic charity and its leader were charged Wednesday in a federal perjury indictment that accuses them of lying when they denied being linked to Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network.

Prosecutors initially placed the perjury charges against Benevolence International Foundation of suburban Palos Hills and its chief executive, Enaam Arnaout, in a criminal complaint on April 30. Under law, the prosecutors were required to obtain a formal indictment within 30 days or drop the charges.

The six-page indictment Wednesday did not expand on charges against Benevolence and Arnaout contained in an FBI affidavit when they were initially charged.

Federal agents raided Benevolence headquarters on Dec. 14 and carted away loads of documents and other evidence. The same day, the government froze Benevolence bank accounts in the United States, saying it suspected the group of funding terrorism.

Benevolence filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Chicago, asking return of its documents and release of its assets. As part of that lawsuit, the group filed sworn statements saying it did not support terrorism or military activity of any kind.

Federal prosecutors cited those statements in placing the perjury charges against Benevolence and Arnaout.

Prosecutors also have said a March 19 raid on Benevolence offices in Bosnia produced correspondence between Arnaout and bin Laden as well as photographs linking the two men. One photo shows bin Laden and the other shows Arnaout. The government says the two photos were apparently taken in the same place at the same time.

Prosecutors also said Benevolence arranged a trip to Bosnia for an al Qaeda member who later was charged in New York with conspiracy to kill Americans and pleaded guilty to attempted murder of a jail guard.