Aus cops frame charges against LTTE rebels

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May 18, 2007 11:07 IST

The Australian Federal Police have laid fresh charges against two terrorism suspects who are accused of being members of the LTTE.

Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, 32, is facing two counts of directly or indirectly making assets available to the Tamil Tigers, a local radio reported.

Sivarajah Yathavan, 36, has also been charged of the same offence.

Two men were arrested early this month by anti-terrorism police and were accused of supplying cash and equipments to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers.

AFP told a court that Aruran Vinayagamoorthy and Sivarajah Yathavan were members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

It was alleged Vinayagamoorthy spent USD 97,000 on transmitters and receivers from Tasmania and Queensland used by Tamil Tigers in explosive devices.

Commonwealth prosecutor Mark Dean, SC, said Vinayagamoorthy also controlled or had access to bank accounts holding USD 526,000 and had transferred USD 240,000 to Malaysia.

The Melbourne Magistrates Court was informed that Yathavan was involved in the purchase of 185 hydraulic steering units similar to those used in suicide attacks against the Sri Lankan navy.

The men, who are Australian citizens, were arrested and released without charge in November 2005. Police said there was no evidence that they planned an attack in Australia.

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