TIRANA (Dow Jones)--Albanian authorities have opened an investigation into a Jordanian man for allegedly funding a terrorist group affiliated with Osama bin Laden, the Tirana prosecutor's office said Wednesday. 

Hamzeh Abu Rayyan has been ordered to remain in Albania while the investigation is under way and has had to surrender his passport, but he hasn't been charged with any crime, the prosecutor's office said. 

Abu Rayyan allegedly worked as a manager for Saudi businessman Yasin al-Qadi, a reputed al-Qaida financier. Albanian authorities were investigating Abu Rayyan for allegedly hiding funds and property that could fund terrorism and also for providing services to a wanted person, said an official at the prosecutor's office, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue. 

"The investigation began after Abu Rayyan started to rent Al-Qadi's assets (in Albania) which have been sequestered by the government," the official said. 

Al-Qadi, who left Albania several years ago, is on a United Nations sanctions list requiring all U.N. members to impose a travel ban on him and block his assets. The European Union and the U.S. have also frozen his assets. Last December, Albania seized al-Qadi's assets in the capital, Tirana. 

Albania has also blocked the bank accounts, investments and other assets of other Arab citizens living and working in Albania and Islamic civic organizations accused by the U.N. of funding terrorist activities. The government has also passed laws allowing it to seize assets believed to be linked to terror financing.
 
April 04, 2007 08:32 ET (12:32 GMT)