UK LTTE duo remanded

UK: The LTTE’s UK operations leader and Finance Head A.C. Shanthan and youth member Golden Lambert, the first ever LTTE cadres to be arrested in the United Kingdom under the Terrorism Act, were remanded by the City of Westminster Magistrate Court on Thursday.

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar alias Shanthan (50) the President of the British Tamil Association and Lambert (29) of the Tamil Youth Organisation were granted conditional bail by the Chief Magistrate Court’s Judge Oakman but later remanded as the surety was not paid.

The two men were arrested and charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 for providing support to the LTTE which is a proscribed organisation in the UK.

Shanthan of south London town of Norbury, faced five charges under the act, including the possession of manuals on underwater warfare systems, naval weapons systems and a piece of ballistic body armour resembling a suicide kit.

Lambert of South Croydon of South London was charged with assisting in the management of the Hyde Park gathering of Sri Lankan Tamils on July 25, 2006 where LTTE flags and pictures of the LTTE leader were displayed.

The gathering was organised as a fund raising event for the LTTE. The case is to be taken up at the Crown Court on August 9, the Asian Tribune reported yesterday.