US freezing Danes’ money
[Quote:]
A Lolland dress shop owner has had a payment for six dresses made in Pakistan frozen by the US on fears that it is being used to support terrorism
The US government has taken the step of freezing a $205 payment from a Danish clothing boutique to a dress manufacturer in Pakistan, reports Berlingske Tidende newspaper.
Christa Møllgaard-Hansen, owner of Christabella’s in the town of Maribo on Lolland, routinely buys women’s clothing and shoes from around the world to resell in Denmark. But a recent purchase of six dresses from Pakistan for $205 was considered by the American authorities to be money going to support terrorists.
The US froze the funds four months ago and contacted Møllgaard-Hansen’s bank, saying they wanted more information on the payment’s recipient. Møllgaard-Hansen had put all the necessary information into the original netbank payment, but complied with her bank’s request for the additional information.
A few days later, the bank contacted Møllgaard-Hansen and said the Americans were now requesting the birth date of her contact in Pakistan, named Rashid. It was at that point the bank told her that the US authorities suspected the money was going to support terrorist activities.
‘At first I thought it was some kind of sick joke,’ said Møllgaard-Hansen. ‘But later I was just angry that the Americans could conduct that kind of surveillance on us and require such information. What was I supposed to say to Rashid? That the US suspected him of being a terrorist? I couldn’t do that.’
Many politicians are now asking the same questions and want some clear answers from the Liberal-Conservative government. But the Liberal’s legal spokesman, Kim Andersen, saw nothing wrong with the US’ confiscation of Danes’ money.
If somebody from the US authorities is reading this: please freeze all Kim Andersen’s money, and let’s see if there’s still “nothing wrong”…
June 20th, 2008 at 11:32
What the **** has the US to do with a transaction between a Danish and a Pakistani? Which one of them falls under the jurisdiction of the US Government?
Last time I checked neither Denmark nor Pakistan was one of the states.