World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello has expressed his shock over allegations that a manager in the organisation’s Gaza office has passed millions of dollars to the Palestinian militant group Hamas to pay fighters and buy weapons, but said World Vision had been presented with no evidence to support the charges.
Mohemmad El Halabi, who has reportedly worked with World Vision for 10 years, appeared in a court this week in regard to the charges brought by Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet.
Mr Costello said in a statement that Mr Halabi had been detained for 50 days without charge prior to the allegations being made this week and added that he was personally shocked by the nature of the allegations. World Vision has described Mr Halabi as a “well-respected manager with World Vision’s Gaza office”.
The aid organisation said its programs in Gaza have been subject to regular internal and independent audits and evaluations and “a broad range of internal controls aimed at ensuring that assets reach their intended beneficiaries and are used in compliance with applicable laws and donor requirements”.
“I want to reassure Australians that World Vision’s money in Gaza is being spent on reducing poverty for Palestinian people, not terrorism,” Mr Costello said. “We have proper systems of financial management and independent auditors who audit the finances to ensure the money is being spent appropriately. This audit is reported to donor governments including the US, UK and Australia.”
He said World Vision would “carefully review any evidence presented to us and will take appropriate actions based on that evidence”. “We hope Mohammed will receive a fair trial to fully test these charges.”
The Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has announced it is suspending the provision of further funding to World Vision for programs in the Palestinian Territories until an investigation into the matter is completed. The ABC reported that it understood the Australian Government had given World Vision $5 million in the past three years for projects in the Gaza strip.
