Det er svært for virksomheder og nødhjælpsorganisationer at få penge sikkert til konfliktramte Somalia. Britisk NGO er bekymret over sikkerheden for pengeoverførsler i fremtiden.
LONDON, 5. november 2013 (IRIN): The British-Somali money transfer company Dahabshiil Holdings Ltd has won a further stay of execution (retslig udsættelse) in its legal battle to stop Barclays Bank from closing its account, a move which, it says, would effectively put it out of business. It had claimed that the decision was discriminatory and anti-competitive.
The High Court in London on 5 November granted an injunction (forbud) which would prevent the account being closed until a full trial can be concluded, something which is not likely to happen until sometime next year.
Dahabshiil is by far the biggest of the money transfer services which Somalis living in the UK use to send money home to their families, since Somalia has no conventional banking service.
It also transfers money for aid agencies and other organizations working in the country, and transfers money for businessmen to finance imports into Somalia and Somaliland.
Banks have been refusing to operate accounts for these transfer services, because of concerns about money laundering and terrorism. A number of smaller companies have already lost their bank accounts, and can only now transfer money through intermediaries.
Dahabshiil’s account with Barclays was the last one still operating in a major British bank.
After the ruling, the chief executive of Dahabshiil, Abdirashid Duale, said:
“We are extremely pleased that the Court has recognized the strength of our case. It is also good news for all our customers who are reliant on us to transfer money safely to the Somali region and all other countries in which we operate.”
Oxfam, which has campaigned against the account closure, also welcomed the ruling, although it pointed out that the injunction was only temporary.
“The ruling provides a small window of opportunity,” said Ben Phillips, director of campaigns and policy. “However, this does not solve the problem – a long-term fix is needed.”
