Kuwait arrests pro-Assad businessman for money laundering

Kuwaiti authorities on Monday arrested a Syrian businessman and five of his assistants believed to be close to regime President Bashar Al-Assad on charges of money laundering, local media reported.

Kuwait Al-Qabas newspaper reported yesterday that Mazen Al-Tarazi, known as Al-Assad’s man, was arrested from his office in the El-Heddaf newspaper.

According to the paper, Al-Tarazi has been arrested following investigations that may include looking into if he has been “communicating and spying for Lebanese Hezbollah group”.

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Al-Tarazi initially denied all charges against him, however, evidence collected from electronic devices and documents confiscated from his office refers to his involvement, the paper added.

It quoted an unnamed security source who is familiar with the affair as saying that “the security authorities released on Tuesday morning, an Egyptian citizen after investigations found that he was not involved in the case and arrested a Lebanese citizen in the same case”.

Al-Tarazi is a Syrian businessman who has been living in Kuwait for many years and owns advertising companies there. He founded companies in Syria, including a private airline. He is also reported to have paid for Syrians to be repatriated to their country.