‘Laden Worth $50m’

RIYADH, Thursday – The wealth of prime terror suspect Osama bin Laden, estimated by western reports to be in billions, is no more than 50 million dollars, the former head of the Saudi secret service has said. “Westerners estimated it at between one and five billion dollars,” Prince Turki al-Faisal said in an interview with the English-language Arab News and London-based Saudi-owned MBC TV. “But our estimate, made when I was director of the intelligence, put it at between 40 and 50 million dollars at the most,” the prince added. Prince Turki was relieved of his post at “his own request” at the end of August after 25 years in the service. He is known for closely following bin Laden’s career. “There are different ways of hiding money, from secret accounts to other criminal methods. He, like any other criminal, follows these well-known paths,” the prince said about bin Laden’s way of hiding his wealth. Prince Turki also ruled out the possibility that bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda organisation may have weapons of mass destruction. “While I was in the intelligence service, we monitored all these claims, not only those related to Al-Qaeda, but regarding other organisations. “There were reports that several individuals and organisations had acquired or were about to acquire such weapons, but we have not received strong evidence to back that up,” he said. Bin Laden, is accused by the US of masterminding the September 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington. Bin Laden had tried to recruit new members for his organisation in Saudi Arabia, Prince Turki said. “Don’t forget the blast that took place in Olaya, Riyadh, several years ago. Those behind the explosion confessed to the crime and admitted that they were influenced by his thoughts. AFP Ends