Is it permissible to take riba (usury or interest) and then give it to the poor or spend it on public facilities?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it permissible to take riba (usury or interest) and then give it to the poor or spend it on public facilities?

Answer:
It is not permissible to take it. However, if one repents from riba (usury or interest) and has accumulated money from riba (usury or interest), he should get rid of it by placing it in a beneficial project or giving it to those in need. There is no harm in this as a means of getting rid of it; it is not in the category of charity. Yes.