Is the agent liable if the zakah is stolen from him, knowing that the thief is among the poor?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. As a person who was given zakah to distribute to the poor, it was stolen from him due to his negligence, but he is convinced that the thief is among the poor because it was stolen in a neighborhood of the poor. So, is he liable?

Answer:
This is not permissible. Whether the zakah reached its rightful recipients or not, it remains in the liability of the payer, who must pay its equivalent. If he wishes, he may pay the compensation. As for this intermediary, this is looked into to see if he was negligent or not. However, the outcome is that if the zakah is stolen, the owner of the wealth is not absolved of liability; he must pay its equivalent. As for whether he pays the compensation, this returns to investigating his negligence or lack thereof. Yes.