Men in US trial accused of aiding LTTE

A trial was beginning Monday against four men charged with seeking to supply missiles and assault weapons to to the LTTE.

The Sri Lankan immigrants have been charged with terrorism because the State Department considers the rebel force, known as the Tigers, a terrorist organisation.

The FBI engineered a sting in which three of the men drove from Canada to New York City in 2006 to meet with undercover agents posing as black-market arms dealers. Prosecutors say the men were caught on tape agreeing to buy 10 surface-to-air missiles and 500 rifles for $900,000.

Jury selection is to begin Monday in federal court in New York City’s Brooklyn borough, with opening statements set for Wednesday.

U.S. authorities say the three men were on a secret mission to help militants locked in a bloody civil war in their homeland by buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of surface-to-air missiles and smuggling them into Sri Lanka.

A lawyer for the fourth defendant, Nadarasa Yograrasa - who was living in New York at the time of the arrests - said he hopes to clear his client.

“We believe that if all of the evidence is placed before the jury, Mr. Yograrasa will be found not guilty,” said the attorney, Steve Zissou.

Lawyers for Sathajhan Sarachandran, Sahilal Sabaratnam and Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam, who had been living in Canada, either declined to discuss the case or did not respond to messages seeking comment.

All four were jailed without bail after pleading not guilty. They each face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.