Houthis order assets of private bank in Yemen to be frozen
SMA NEWS – MARIB
The Iran-backed Houthi militias on Monday ordered local financial institutions to freeze the funds and assets of a major private bank in Yemen, a day after members of the group stormed a mansion in Sanaa owned by a local businessman.
Citing a judicial order, the Houthi-controlled central bank in Sanaa told local banks and exchange firms to take the action against Tadhamon International Islamic Bank (TIIB), a commercial bank owned by Hayel Saeed Anam Group, a Yemeni family-owned conglomerate.
The Houthis did not give a reason for the court order but Yemeni officials and economists said that the group wants to bring the private sector under its control in the territories it rules, and collect tax revenues to fund its military activities.
In November last year, TIIB was forced to close its operations across Yemen following a raid by the Houthis on its headquarter in Sanaa. Employees were forced to leave the office and the bank’s cameras and servers were confiscated.
The Houthi central bank accused the business of being involved in illegal activities such as currency speculation and smuggling money abroad. The bank strongly denied the claims and reopened several days later, after the Houthis left its offices.
