But Hamad may have recently run afoul of another American battle: a campaign against money laundering. After the British island of Jersey tightened its anti-money-laundering laws, a bank informed authorities three years ago of its suspicion that three trusts controlled by Hamad might contain criminal proceeds. Jersey’s attorney general opened a criminal investigation into whether more than $150 million held in the trusts could be kickbacks that Hamad obtained from companies seeking to do business with the Qatari government. In December 2001, a judge authorized investigators to cross-examine Hamad. In his ruling, the judge noted that Hamad “accepts that he received substantial commissions” but “denies that these commissions were in the nature of bribes to secure government contracts.” No cross-examination took place, however, because Jersey authorities last year folded their criminal investigation, noting that Hamad’s status as foreign minister might make him immune to prosecution. Hamad’s lawyers went to court to stop information about the investigation’s being made public. But at the request of the Jersey Evening Post, the judge unsealed key rulings. A lawyer for Hamad said he maintains “his innocence of any wrongdoing.”
