Arumugan Rajeevan arrested for allegedly chanelling funds to LTTE

MELBOURNE: Arumugan Rajeevan, 41, an accountant by profession was prosecuted in a Melbourne Court for allegedly money laundering and overseeing the channelling of Australian $ 600,000 to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Reports state that he was a resident of Sydney, the LTTE “Number Two man” and a member of the Co-ordinating Committee of the LTTE overseas wing responsible for the collection and distribution of funds.

Rajeevan, had according to reports, collected funds on the pretext of providing relief for the tsunami hit in the northeast and southern coast.

Prosecutor Mark Dean, SC stated that Rajeevan was a qualified accountant involved “in the financial affairs of the group” of the LTTE based in Australia.

Dean said police had found a photograph of him with the LTTE leader.

The prosecution also charged that Rajeevan had visited the LTTE leader in October 2003 regarding money transactions. He, according to the prosecution was a signatory to one of the LTTE bank accounts and “could be directly connected to the transfer of Australian $ 600,000 in cash.”

The other co-accused in custody are Arrooran Vinyagamoorthy, 32, Mount Waverly, Sydney and SivarajaYathavan, 36, of Vermont South, Sydney who were arrested on May 1, 2007. Both were not granted bail.

Vinaygamoorthy according to the prosecution had “access” to Australian $ 500,000 despite the fact that he was unemployed.

He had transferred Australian $ 240,000 to a Malaysian bank account and bought Australian $ 97,000 worth of electronic equipment including transmitters generally used in “acts of terrorism”.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge remanded Arumugan Rajeevan in custody to appear in Court once again in August 2007