Vestre Landsret on Friday upheld the conviction of Oussama El-Saadi, chair of the Grimhøj mosque in Aarhus, for social benefit fraud. He says he still considers himself innocent.
According to DR, the Western High Court on September 25 upheld a 2024 district court judgment against El-Saadi. He is an imam and chair of Grimhøjmoskéen in Aarhus.
The sentence is 15 months of suspended imprisonment for social benefit fraud, plus three months of imprisonment for insurance fraud. He stood trial alongside his cousin, who is also his wife.
The couple had told Udbetaling Danmark and Aarhus Municipality that they were each living alone. The prosecution argued that they in fact lived together, and the High Court agreed. As a result, they received 738,000 kroner more than they were entitled to, including housing support and disability pension.
Prosecutor Casper Tobias Korkmaz said police found El-Saadi asleep in a bedroom in his cousin’s apartment during an early morning search. A connected oxygen device stood beside him, and prescription medicine issued to him was found in the flat, per DR.
Mosque chair disputes the court’s account
El-Saadi told DR that he respects the High Court’s assessment but disagrees with the information behind it. He said he has a large family and receives many threats, and therefore has to move around constantly. He rejected the claim that he lives at a fixed address.
He also disputed the description of the search, saying only Panodil was found. Asked why his explanation should be believed over the court’s finding, he said people who know him could confirm it. He said he is 100 percent certain that he is innocent.
Earlier in the case it emerged that El-Saadi’s own apartment was rented out to other people. He said the lease was known to Udbetaling Danmark, and that he had permission to share the apartment with another person.
Korkmaz, who works for the regional public prosecutor in Viborg, said two court instances have now found that abuse took place. As noted by the prosecutor, the case is serious, and the ruling underlines that there are consequences for giving authorities incorrect information to obtain benefits.
The prosecution had argued for a harsher penalty than the one handed down by the district court. That request was not met, since the High Court upheld the original sentence.
The judgment also means the couple face a compensation claim from Aarhus Municipality and Udbetaling Danmark. El-Saadi said he would repay money if he is required to, and that he would discuss the arrangements with the authorities.
He said he does not expect the conviction to affect his position as chair of the mosque. Friday prayers had just ended when he spoke to DR, and he said the congregation had told him they trust him. He plans to discuss possible next steps with his lawyer.
