Mosque fund theft crushes dreams
Muslims who donated thousands of dollars decry sentence imposed by courts
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, February 5, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It's Friday afternoon and Imam Elmuhalab Ahmed is leading some 60 members of Yellowknife's Muslim community, squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder in a space no bigger than a single-wide trailer, through prayer.
Elmuhalab Ahmed, imam at the Islamic Centre of Yellowknife, said the defrauding of over $117,000 from the centre's operating and mosque funds has not only destroyed the hopes of building Yellowknife's first mosque, it has destroyed trust amongst the Muslim community. - Daniel Campbell/NNSL photo |
Friday is significant in the Muslim world. Many would compare it to the Christian Sunday - a day of prayer and worship - but last Friday was significant for another reason. At the end of the prayer, an announcement is made to the congregation.
Mohamed Basha, the former president and imam of the Islamic Centre of Yellowknife, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for stealing more than $117,000 of the centre's funds over a two-year period that morning, a voice says into the PA system at the centre.
Basha's activities drained an account set up by the community to maintain their current mosque - a re-purposed daycare centre on Franklin Avenue - and another made up of donations from the community going toward the building of what would be Yellowknife's first mosque.
Crown prosecutor Ryan Carrier said Basha took all but $60 from that account.
The Crown alleged Basha took more than $120,000 from both accounts. Ahmed said it was more like $150,000. The courts could only prove $117,816 was taken. Although Basha has been ordered by the courts to pay back $117,816 to the Islamic centre (and another $15,000 to a cab driver he defrauded while working with City Cab), Ahmed is doubtful they'll see any of that money again.
But for the new leader of the Islamic centre, Basha's crimes are having another, more devastating effect.
"Trust is a major issue. Money comes and goes," Ahmed said after his service on Friday.
Ahmed has been leading prayers at the centre for about three years. He says since the theft, he's noticed a drop in membership and a general feeling
of mistrust amongs the community. In a victim impact statement to the courts, Ahmed said even he has been accused of theft.
Ali Abdullah, who sang prayers on Friday, said it's difficult to get people to donate to the centre's funds now.
"He took advantage of our religion," Abdullah said. "Everybody's shocked."
Abdullah held a small plastic donation box after the prayer, as congregants passed him on their way out. Some dropped small change into the box. The money donated goes into the same accounts Basha stole from over the last two years.
When reading out her decision in court, Judge Christine Gagnon said Basha's actions mean the Islamic centre will need to regain the trust of their creditors and community members.
"He cheated and lied to his community," she said.
Gagnon shot down a defence plan that would see Basha serve a shorter sentence, but be under a longer probation order to pay back the money.
Defemce lawyer Peter Harte suggested his client be forced to pay back $250 per month for a term of three years, ensuring Yellowknife's Muslims would see at least some of the money given back to them.
But the plan would only ensure $9,000 was repaid - only a fraction of the total -- so Gagnon went with the Crown's suggestion of a penitentiary sentence in the range of 32 to 34 months.
She imposed three consecutive sentences of six months for defrauding a fellow cab driver of $15,000, 18 months for breach of trust and another nine months for stealing from the Islamic centre.
Basha is also under court order to not be in a position of trust in any organization which would put him in charge of money or property.
He'll have to pay a $300 victims of crime surcharge for each of his offences as well - something Harte argued he shouldn't have to pay since the money simply goes into a government fund the victims will never see.
Sofian Saad attended prayers on Friday with his young child. He says the court sentence doesn't solve anything.
"It's unjust, it's unfair," Saad said.
"We need money for the mosque. We have to start over. That sentence doesn't help us."
Tito Rahman, also at the Friday prayer, added he lent Basha $2,000 and doesn't think he'll see the money again.
Ahmed, whose Friday prayer discussed the significance of angels in Islam, remembers Basha's prayers ironically often focused on punishment for wrongdoers.
Kareem Yalahow, another member of the Islamic centre, said he wanted the courts to do more.
"The punishment of God is waiting for him too," Yalahow said, adding Basha's fate would be "10 times" worse because he played the role of a trusted, religious leader.
As the building clears out, Ahmed shows some visible signs of Basha's crime.
The foundation of the prayer room is slanted to one side - an indication the building's foundation is slipping. There are cracks in the walls sealed with tape.
Close to $45,000 of money for repairs and general maintenance was stolen by Basha.
The old daycare centre will have to do for the time-being for Yellowknife's Muslim community.
