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Aussie court hears man funded Tigers

A man charged with multiple terrorism offenses for allegedly funneling money to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger separatists met with the rebel group's reclusive leader in 2003, a court heard yesterday.

Arumugam Rajeevan, 40, was arrested on Tuesday for his alleged role in fundraising for the Tamil Tigers by telling donors the money was for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Australia's government lists the rebel group as a terrorist organization.

Prosecutor Mark Dean said at a Melbourne Magistrates Court hearing that Rajeevan went to Sri Lanka in October 2003 and met with the Tigers' leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Dean also said Rajeevan was also a signatory to an Australian bank account operated by a Melbourne-based Tamil organization that funneled money to the Sri Lankan rebel group.

Rajeevan was the third person arrested over the alleged fundraising and was charged with providing support or resources to a terrorist organization, being a member of a terrorist group and making a financial asset available to a proscribed entity.

The charges carry maximum prison terms of 25, 10 and five years respectively.

Rajeevan did not apply for bail yesterday, but his lawyer Sam Norton indicated he may do so next week.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge adjourned the case to Aug. 23.

Rajeevan's two co-accused Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, 32, and Sivarajah Yatahavan, 36, were denied bail after their arrests in May.
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