State takes over LTTE property

Rafik JALALDEEN

The Government will take over all LTTE property and assets in the possession of individuals and groups here and abroad . The LTTE has 14 ships, five of them belonging to self-appointed LTTE diaspora leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP.

Addressing the media at the Media Centre for National Security yesterday, Defence Affairs spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the Government Intelligence has identified properties of the LTTE in various parts of the world.

Action has been taken to confiscate these LTTE properties held by individuals and groups.

“The Government has sought the Attorney General’s advice to take action to take ownership of the LTTE properties,” he added. It is known that the LTTE possesses 14 ships and five of them belonged to KP. The Government had taken steps to bring three ships belonging to KP.

“More than 600 accounts of KP were frozen by the Government and it is in the process of probing LTTE financing channels,” the Minister said.

KP was on Interpol’s most wanted list for various crimes including arms smuggling and criminal conspiracy. Pathmanathan was one of the top LTTE operatives and the chief procurer of arms for the organization. He ran a global network of LTTE offices which were engaged in weapons procurement, logistics and money laundering operations.

Initially based in Malaysia, where he set up a shipping company in 1987, he was forced to move out after the Malaysian Special Branch cracked down on LTTE activities in the country in 1990, culminating in the seizure of an LTTE ship the same year. KP then moved to Thailand, which became a safe haven for the LTTE.

There he established himself as the head of banking, procurement and shipping for the LTTE.

He is believed to have obtained citizenship of Thailand.

In Thailand, KP set up and led the “KP Department”, the procurement arm of the LTTE, the oldest international wing of the organisation. He was responsible for equipping the LTTE cadres with a modern day arsenal which enabled them to challenge the Security Forces.

KP was arrested by the Intelligence on August 6, 2009.