Walsall terror funding trial: Brother 'joked' about Islamic State fighter's life in Syria

Mohamed Suyaubur Rohaman, 32, of Castle Road, Walsall Wood, is accused of sending £10,000 to his younger brother Musadikur Rohaman, 29, who had joined the IS terror group in December 2014 with his wife Zohura Siddeka, also 29. Mohammed allegedly shared the gag via a mobile phone messaging app on January 30 last year.

Prosecuting, Mr Julian Christopher QC said: "When Musadikur made contact and said he was not coming back, Rohaman told him 'A lot of people are jealous of u...every1 saying how lucky u are on ur holiday' joining in the pretence that is what Musadikur was doing.

"Joking, when Musadikur was saying that he was looking for new accommodation, that he had found the perfect place for him – President Assad's Presidential palace in Damascus.

"Thus the prosecution alleges that when he sent out the £10,000 he must have known or at the very least had reasonable grounds to suspect that money might be used for the purposes of terrorism."

Mr Christopher said: "The first defendant, Mohammed Hussain, is the youngest of eight siblings. He is responsible for running the family launderette business in Walsall.

"The second defendant, Mohamed Rohaman is one of his brothers. Between them in age is another brother, Musadikur Rohaman.

"Musadikur had told people that he was going on holiday, but the true purpose for his trip was to go to Syria to join and fight for IS, and that is what he did."

Rohaman is charged with providing money for the purposes of terrorism while another younger brother, Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, 27, of the same address, is charged with receiving money for the purposes of terrorism and entering into a funding arrangement to support terrorism.

The brothers sold their sibling's BMW for £4,000 and collected their sister-in-law's maternity pay, amassing £10,000 which Rohaman allegedly sent to them in Syria by Western Union via the Lebanon from Imran Video shop in Caldmore which is next to their All Season laundry and dry cleaning business.

They are also accused on enlisting the help of accountants Mohammed Atiqur Rahman Khan, 27, of Buckle Close, Caldmore, and Maruf Uddin, 26, of Earl Street, Caldmore to take out credit cards and put personal items for sale on eBay.

Khan and Uddin are both charged with entering into a funding arrangement for terrorism.

All four men deny the charges.

They claim the money was intended to help Musadikur return to the UK.

Mr Christopher described Hussain, who ran the launderette business, as sharing Musadikur's extremist 'outlook' and as the 'principal point of contact'.

The court heard it was not long before the 'secret was out' of the couple's true location.

Officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit first visited the family home in Walsall Wood in February last year.

The court was told the brothers tried to sell Sidekka's wedding dress, but that their mother was allegedly forced to lock up valuables in the family home to try and stop them. Her dowry gold was sold for £1,200, but the money never made it to Syria.

Musadikur and Sidekka travelled to Syria after flying to Istanbul after telling relatives there were going on holiday.

While in Syria they met up with Abul Hasan, originally of Hart Street in Caldmore, who had travelled via coach from Birmingham to Hungary. He is believed to be dead after fighting for ISIS.

Sidekka, who was a teacher, is believed to have given birth since living in the so-called Islamic State. Musadikur kept in contact with family members via chat mobile phone messages.

He said Syria was 'amazing' and that 'they' were making $2 million a day through oil sales and that thousands of people were flocking to the so-called Islamic State from around the world.

But Mr Christopher said that it later appeared Musadikur had 'changed his mind about what he was doing' after he was injured in fighting and his wife became pregnant, and 'began to explore the possibility of coming back home."

The trial continues.