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Category: Islam / Education Industry / Courts and Trials / Corruption

Islamic council federation drops legal case against former president

Wednesday, 30 Mar 2016 10:18:31 | Thomas Oriti

Ikebal Patel was suspended in 2012 over alleged financial irregularities. (News Video)

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) has dropped legal proceedings against one of its former presidents over the use of the organisation's funds.

Key points:

  • Ikebal Patel suspended as president in 2012 over use of more than $100,000 worth of funds
  • Two main witnesses in case could be hostile after fall out with AFIC, says school's lawyer
  • AFIC does not back away from allegations but decides to stop proceedings against Mr Patel

The case against Ikebal Patel, which lasted several years, was a money recovering exercise, but lawyers said the two main witnesses, former employees of the Malek Fahd Islamic School in Sydney, were now unlikely to co-operate.

Amjad Mehboob and Agim Garana were recently dismissed from their positions at the Islamic school in Sydney, which is set to lose almost $20 million in annual federal funding due to concerns it failed to address concerns about its financial management and governance.

AFIC and the Malek Fahd Islamic school's lawyer, Rick Mitry, said that since Mr Mehboob and Mr Garana had had a falling out with the current board of AFIC, they were "naturally not going to give evidence that might not be favourable to AFIC, in fact they could be hostile witnesses".

But the school's lawyers said they were hoping the Government would reverse its funding decision as early as next week and that this latest development will not get in the way.

The legal case began in 2012, when Mr Patel was suspended over alleged financial irregularities — more specifically, the use of more than $100,000 worth of AFIC funds.

AFIC should have never involved itself in school management: lawyer

He was also on the Malek Fahd Islamic School board.

Mr Patel has denied any wrongdoing.

We've conceded all of the mistakes that had been made, both by AFIC and Malek Fahd, we've conceded that AFIC should have never involved itself in the management of schools.

Rick Mitry, lawyer

Until recently the Malek Fahd Islamic School in Sydney was directly affiliated with AFIC.

Both Mr Mehboob and Mr Garana had been involved in separate legal disputes with the organisation, and as the president of Muslims New South Wales, Mr Mehboob had expressed concern about AFIC's leadership, and that of the school.

Mr Mehboob said he was worried that the school community was falling victim to internal politics.

"The tragedy is that we have had a leadership during this period that simply lacked all kinds of credibility to manage the organisations, Mr Mehboob said.

"It depends on the leadership, you see."

AFIC confident the school has a future

Mr Mitry, who also represents the school, said he believed internal disputes within AFIC would not affect the outcome.

"Not in the slightest iota. AFIC is now a totally separate body to Malek Fahd, Malek Fahd is totally independent of AFIC," Mr Mitry said.

Australian Federation of Islamic Councils spokesman Amjad Mehboob. Photo: Mr Mehboob said he was worried that the school community was falling victim to internal politics. (ABC)

"We've conceded all of the mistakes that had been made, both by AFIC and Malek Fahd, we've conceded that AFIC should have never involved itself in the management of schools.

"They know nothing about education."

AFIC's newly appointed treasurer Keysar Trad said he was also confident the school had a future.

"We have made every commitment to the Government and started all the processes that are necessary to make sure that we meet every recommendation or every demand made by the Minister for Education, so that's a separate process.

"And the case against Ikebal Patel is not related to any claims made against the school."

The funding decision is now being reviewed, with a result expected next week.

Mr Mitry has flagged the school could take further action if the funding decision is not reversed.

AustraliaPlus


 

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