Among the claims the police will be asked to investigate are allegations the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils uploaded illegal software on to its computer system and that some executives were “double dipping”.
The accusations by former AFIC treasurer Ikebal Patel, who failed in his bid to become president of the organisation last month, exposes deep factional and ethnic divisions within the body that advises the Howard Government on Muslim community issues.
Mr Patel yesterday told The Australian that he was preparing to take the allegations about the pirated software and other “illegalities” to police.
“All illegalities should be now handed to the authorities for investigation,” he said.
The latest claims come after allegations published in The Australian yesterday that the executive board tried to cover up charges that an AFIC worker was accused of sexual harassment and downloading pornography at the council’s head office.
But AFIC assistant secretary Shujat Mantoo yesterday dismissed Mr Patel’s latest accusations, saying he was leading a “mud-slinging” campaign against the organisation because Mr Patel ran for president and lost during last month’s elections.
“He’s disgruntled with the outcomes of the elections and he’s doing this out of vengeance and spite,” he said.
Central to the public brawl are the election results that have revealed an ethnic power struggle among Muslims.
“The power is now in the hands of the Pakistanis, and the Fijians have been kicked out,” one AFIC insider told The Australian.
Mr Patel raised several contentious issues during his time on the executive, according to documents obtained by The Australian.
He first raised his allegations about pirated software during an AFIC executive committee meeting in August last year when he circulated a letter to the board.
In the letter, obtained by The Australian, he says “it is my director’s responsibility to bring this illegality to the attention of the AFIC (executives)”.
“I put the executive and the staff of AFIC on notice that I do not wish in the future to be party to a voluntary and known illegal activity,” he says in the letter.
Mr Patel alleges that a pirated computer program was obtained by AFIC’s then secretary, Shujat Mantoo.
“Shujat Mantoo ... brought a copy of illegal software from the Victorian Government’s Education Department and loaded it on to AFIC’s system with the full knowledge of (three board executives).
“This was openly revealed in an AFIC meeting with Shujat Mantoo claiming responsibility and any consequences.”
But Mr Mantoo yesterday denied the allegations: “The software that is installed in AFIC’s computer is properly licensed. It has been purchased from Microsoft.”
Mr Mantoo asked why Mr Patel did not inform the police about the allegedly illegal software while he was in office.
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils represents the nation’s nine state Muslim councils, including Christmas Island.