Law360
August 18, 2014
Linda Chiem
In a Brooklyn federal courthouse Monday, attorneys for Arab Bank PLC sought to dismantle allegations that the Jordanian bank funneled money to known terrorists such as Hamas, challenging expert testimony that tried to lay the groundwork for the unprecedented case by linking Hamas to attacks in Israel and Palestinian territories.
With the start of opening testimony Monday, Arab Bank’s attorney Shand Stevens of DLA Piper tore into testimony from Evan F. Kohlmann, a terrorism consultant with Flashpoint Global Partners, who was among the first three witnesses put forth by the plaintiffs’ attorneys in the first U.S. trial for a terrorism-financing suit against a major bank.
“You are not offering an opinion about Arab Bank?” Stevens asked Kohlmann, who spent more than four hours on the witness stand Monday. “You’re not offering an opinion on who funded the 24 attacks? The motive for the 24 attacks? You’re not offering any opinion about charities allegedly controlled [by Hamas]?”
To read the article in its entirety on Law360, click here.