Genoa, 30 Dec. (LaPresse) – ‘He claimed that his fundraising activities were for specific and precise charitable purposes,’ his lawyers emphasised, ‘and denied ever having directly or indirectly financed Hamas, as well as specifying that his activities began in the early 1990s.’ This was stated by Emanuele Tambuscio and Fabio Sommovigo, lawyers for Mohammad Hannoun, the 62-year-old Jordanian architect and president of the Association of Palestinians in Italy who was arrested last Saturday as part of an investigation into funding for Hamas, along with eight other people considered to be members and financiers of the Italian cell of the terrorist group. ‘He has made it clear that he never wanted or allowed the aid he collected and sent to Gaza to be labelled, distributed or used by Hamas for its own purposes,’ the lawyers reiterate.