AI
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 1:43:32 AM
Tamil Tiger funding trio walks free
By Sarah Farnsworth
Updated 40 minutes ago
fp: "The DFAT advice, in its second most severe tier of warnings, says Australians should reconsider their need
to travel to Algeria, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia,
Lebanon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Yemen and Zimbabwe."
Arumugum Rajeevan, one of three men who pleaded
guilty to providing funds to the Tamil Tigers.
(AAP: Julian Smith, file photo)
Three men have walked free from court after pleading guilty to funding the separatist Sri Lankan group the Tamil Tigers.
Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, 35, Sivarajah Yathavan, 39, and Arumugum Rajeevan,
44, pleaded guilty to providing $1 million to the Tamil Tigers between 2002 and 2005.
Vinayagamoorthy also pleaded guilty to providing electronic
equipment, including radio transmitters, used in bomb attacks in Sri Lanka.
It is a federal offence under the United Nations Act to provide funds to a recognised terrorist organisation.
The Tamil Tigers are recognised as a terrorist organisation overseas but not in Australia.
Justice Paul Coghlan accepted that each were connected with Tamil Tigers and
knew the group had a reputation of being a terrorist organisation. But he told the
court the men were motivated to assist the Tamil community in the north of Sri Lanka.
He sentenced Vinayagamoorthy to two years' jail but released him on a good behaviour bond for four years.
Yathavan and Rajeevan were sentenced to one year in jail and released on a good behaviour bond for three years.
Last year, Justice Coghlan criticised the Australian Federal Police's 2007 arrest of Rajeevan,
describing his treatment as "frightfully heavy handed" and of questionable legality.
During pre-trial arguments, the Supreme Court was told Rajeevan was arrested at
gunpoint and was refused access to a lawyer during a five-hour interrogation.
Terrorism charges against all three men were later withdrawn by prosecutors
and replaced with the lesser charges of funding the separatist group.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/31/2861474.htm
By Sarah Farnsworth
Updated 40 minutes ago
fp: "The DFAT advice, in its second most severe tier of warnings, says Australians should reconsider their need
to travel to Algeria, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia,
Lebanon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Yemen and Zimbabwe."
Arumugum Rajeevan, one of three men who pleaded
guilty to providing funds to the Tamil Tigers.
(AAP: Julian Smith, file photo)
Three men have walked free from court after pleading guilty to funding the separatist Sri Lankan group the Tamil Tigers.
Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, 35, Sivarajah Yathavan, 39, and Arumugum Rajeevan,
44, pleaded guilty to providing $1 million to the Tamil Tigers between 2002 and 2005.
Vinayagamoorthy also pleaded guilty to providing electronic
equipment, including radio transmitters, used in bomb attacks in Sri Lanka.
It is a federal offence under the United Nations Act to provide funds to a recognised terrorist organisation.
The Tamil Tigers are recognised as a terrorist organisation overseas but not in Australia.
Justice Paul Coghlan accepted that each were connected with Tamil Tigers and
knew the group had a reputation of being a terrorist organisation. But he told the
court the men were motivated to assist the Tamil community in the north of Sri Lanka.
He sentenced Vinayagamoorthy to two years' jail but released him on a good behaviour bond for four years.
Yathavan and Rajeevan were sentenced to one year in jail and released on a good behaviour bond for three years.
Last year, Justice Coghlan criticised the Australian Federal Police's 2007 arrest of Rajeevan,
describing his treatment as "frightfully heavy handed" and of questionable legality.
During pre-trial arguments, the Supreme Court was told Rajeevan was arrested at
gunpoint and was refused access to a lawyer during a five-hour interrogation.
Terrorism charges against all three men were later withdrawn by prosecutors
and replaced with the lesser charges of funding the separatist group.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/31/2861474.htm
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