Ex-fugitive put up homes to spring Rezko
FEDERAL COURT | Ex-Iraq fugitive, a longtime pal, covers a third of his $8.5M bail
A former Iraqi official and ex-international fugitive helped spring Tony Rezko from jail earlier this month, putting up homes that comprise nearly one-third of the $8.5 million in property and cash securing Rezko's bail, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
The three homes belonging to former Iraqi Electricity Minister Aiham Alsammarae — a dual U.S.-Iraqi citizen who broke out of a Baghdad jail in 2006 — are part of a long list made public in Rezko's case Friday following a Sun-Times request. Six other individuals who pledged property to get Rezko out of the Metropolitan Correctional Center on April 18 are current or former state employees.
(Rich Hein/Sun-Times/AP)
Tony Rezko's $8.5 million bail is being secured by properties and cash linked to friends and family. Here are many of those people and what they'd forfeit if Rezko flees:
* Former Iraqi Electricity Minister Aiham Alsammarae and his wife, Amura: an Oak Brook mansion and two South Loop condominiums
* Illinois Department of Central Management Services employee Mustafa Abdalla: house in Libertyville
* Shant and Layla Avakian: house in Morton Grove
* Ali M. Bagdadi and Darlene Bagdadi: two-story retail building in Chicago
* Abir Dawli: property in Emerson, N.J.
* Frederick Dawli: property in Paramus, N.J.
* Basim Dihu: house in Des Plaines
* Former Illinois Department of Central Management Services employee Ferras Elshair: house in Darien
* Illinois Public Health Department Employee Rosemarie Karim: house in Chicago
* Illinois Department of Central Management Services employee Donald J. Lynch: house in Deerfield
* Dr. George and Inam Malki: property in Heathrow, Fla.
* Roger Malki: condo in South Loop
* Illinois secretary of state employee Sue Merjan and her husband, George: a house in Orland Park and a North Side condo
* Sahar A. Nammari: home in Bartlett
* Theodora A. Ohanis: condo in Chicago
* Karam Razko: house in Hinsdale
* Burt R. Rezko: house on South Side
* Kinda Rezko: house on Northwest Side
* Rezekalla Rezko: house in Orland Hills
* Illinois Department of Central Management Services employee Jenan S. Shamoun: house in Elk Grove Village
SOURCE: Court recordsAlsammarae put up $1.9 million in equity in his Oak Brook mansion, along with $840,000 in equity from two South Loop condominiums, according to court records. In recent days, he appeared in the downtown federal courthouse to pledge his property and signed papers related to Rezko's bail. That proceeding, however, was conducted in a private session with U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve and lawyers. Records from the proceeding weren't immediately released.
Iraqi high court cleared charges
International intrigue surrounds Alsammarae, who dramatically fled Iraq in late 2006 after being held on a corruption conviction that he maintains was groundless. Documents obtained by the Sun-Times indicate that an Iraqi high court cleared his charges. A letter dated April 8 from the High Judicial Council, Central Criminal Court, was recently sent to Interpol stating: "The decision of his conviction in absentia has been revoked by the Union Cessation Court." However, an Interpol warrant remains active, and officials Friday would not say why.
Alsammarae and Rezko have been friends since they were classmates at the Illinois Institute of Technology in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
U.S. court papers recently revealed that the feds once accused Rezko, a native of Syria, of paying Alsammarae a $1.5 million bribe when Alsammarae was electricity minister.
Alsammarae allegedly helped a firm Rezko owned, Companion Security, win a $50 million contract to train Iraqi power plant security guards, but the deal was left in limbo a month later because of a change in Iraq's leadership.
Rezko's lawyers have called the bribe accusation "baseless." Attempts to reach Alsammarae were unsuccessful.
The State Department declined to comment about why Alsammarae remains listed as a fugitive by Interpol. Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago, also declined to comment.
Prosecutors, however, strongly opposed Rezko's release from jail, saying he was a flight risk.
"He has quite literally taken millions of dollars from people whom he considered his closest friends," Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn McNiven said at Rezko's bond hearing.
Defense lawyers countered that Rezko never belonged behind bars and has no intention of fleeing. They pointed out that Rezko was overseas when he was indicted and still returned to face charges.
Judge cites community ties
Rezko was arrested Jan. 28 after he failed to disclose a $3.8 million overseas wire transfer from Iraqi-born billionaire Nadhmi Auchi. But St. Eve said Rezko and his lawyers have, under oath, accounted for where the money was directed. St. Eve said she released Rezko in part because she was impressed by the community backing for him at trial every day.
St. Eve said that showed Rezko has ties to the community and an interest in staying in the country.
Rezko, 52, is on trial on charges that he solicited kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich.
Sources previously told the Sun-Times that the feds are investigating Rezko's dealings in Iraq, where Rezko also once had a contract with Alsammarae's agency to build a power plant. As was the case with the security contract, the power plant deal never materialized.