Senior Abbas aide testifies in Dahlan trial

The Palestinian tribunal for corruption yesterday asked Hussein Al-Araj, the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) president’s office, to testify in Mohamed Dahlan’s corruption case, Arabs48.com reported.

In an appearance before the court, Al-Araj said he had never seen any documentation justifying how $17 million had been misused by Dahlan.

Al-Araj’s testimony was dismissed as “empty” by Sevag Torossian of Dahlan’s defence team, who said it would now be necessary for PA President Mahmoud Abbas himself to testify.

“In his testimony, Al-Araj said he did not see or hear anything relating to Dahlan’s use of funds, so now I want to hear Abbas’s testimony because apparently he is the only one who would know what happened,” Torossian told AFP.