Background
Loai Deeb was born in the border town of Rafah, Palestine.
Loai Deeb was born in the border town of Rafah, Palestine.
Deeb"s claim to have completed a Doctor of Philosophy in international law is disputed. He has claimed that he completed his degree at universities in four different countries on separate occasions, and no major university in any of the four countries have any record of his matriculation. Deeb has no ties to University of Oslo, which contrasts Deeb"s claim that he is a professor there.
In June 2015 Norwegian police charged both Loai Deeb and GNRD with money laundering and receiving stolen goods. In 2001 he arrived in Norway as a refugee from Palestine. In 2007 he was elected to the local council for Sola district (Rogaland, Norway) as a member in the Norwegian Labour party for a period of 4 years.
From 2007 to 2011 he was director of a diploma mill, The Scandinavian University, located in Stavanger with no employees in Norway and without recognition from the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Deeb established the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD), in 2008.
In 2013 he suddenly earned 4.7 million Norwegian kroner, after years where Deeb"s yearly income rarely exceeded 200 000 Norwegian kroner when he had worked as a security guard and as a messenger in Norway. ( In 2014 Brian Whitaker said that the organization led by Deeb, GNRD, is "funded – to the tune of 35 million euros a year") In 2014 he produced the video for the song "The Great East", performed by Carole Samaha, the GNRD Goodwill Ambassador.
On May 27, 2015, Norwegian police raided the headquarters of GNRD in Stavanger and brought Loai Deeb in for questioning. Following the raid Deeb was charged with money laundering and receiving stolen goods.
The investigation is carried out by the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim).
Through his lawyer Deeb denied the accusations. During his period of leadership, the organization has observed elections: South Sudan"s independence referendum - 14,15 January 2011. Jordanian parliamentary election - 23 January 2013.
Algerian presidential elections - 17 May 2014.
Egyptian presidential election - 26, 28 May 2014. Presidential and parliamentary elections, Tunisia - October, November, December 2014.
Three of the six organisations" have no traces on the internet. Deeb also has seven brothers.
Another brother holds Spanish citizenship.
Member of the Norwegian Labour party.