Getting rid of riba (usury or interest) profits after repentance

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, this creditor says: If one repents from riba (usury or interest), is it permissible for him to give the excess profits to those who wish to use them for treatment?

Answer:
If one repents from riba and has accumulated interest profits in his possession, he should get rid of them by placing them in public projects. If he gives them to those in need, there is no harm in doing so to get rid of them; this is not in the category of voluntary charity, but rather in the category of lost money that has no owner. However, if he repents and says, "I will take the interest from the bank and give it in charity," that is not permissible in my view. If he repents, he should leave it alone and not speak of it. The discussion here concerns the one who has repented and the money is in his possession; he gets rid of it by placing it in beneficial projects or giving it to those in need as a means of disposal, not as an act of charity.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you