The global money services firm Western Union has agreed to pay more than $400,000 to settle charges it violated US sanctions by sending money to an entity with terrorist ties in the African nation of The Gambia, the Treasury Department said in a notice on Friday.

“Between December 9, 2010, and March 13, 2015, a bank in The Gambia was one of Western Union’s principal Master Agents,” Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said. “In or around 2006, the bank established a sub-agent relationship with Kairaba Shopping Center (KSC), an entity that was subsequently designated by OFAC pursuant to the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (GTSR) on December 9, 2010.

“Western Union processed 4,977 transactions totaling approximately $1.275 million, which were paid out to customers who collected cash at KSC, the release added.

In 2010, Treasury said it targeted KSC because it was managed by Husayn Tajideen, an alleged fund-raiser for US-designated terrorist group Hezbollah. The Lebanon-based movement has repeatedly refuted US accusations.

(Urdu News/Sputnik)