Norway-based LTTE activist arrested
Norway-based LTTE leader Perinpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyawan has
been arrested and was produced in an Oslo Court yesterday. According to
the Norwegian media report Dutch authorities believe the suspect has a
prominent role in the terrorist outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) which is banned in 33 countries including the USA, UK, Australia,
and European Union but not in Norway.
Nediyawan is a prominent figure and new leader to the LTTE who had to
explain himself behind closed doors to Dutch authorities in a judicial
interrogation at Oslo District Court on Wednesday and Thursday.
A Dutch judge and five Dutch Defence Attorneys are in Norway to
interrogate Nediyawan, who is a resident of Norway. Nediyavan is to be
interrogated over two days, and is pointed out by several people to be a
key leader of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE).
In Norway the LTTE can operate freely, but in the USA, Australia and
EU, they are considered to be a terrorist organization and are
officially listed on the terrorists.The LTTE have been on EU’s terrorist
list since 2006, and financial support to the organization is considered
to be a criminal offence in the Netherlands.The Police Security Service
(PSS) does not want to make a comment on the secret case, but confirms
that they assisted Dutch police with the interrogation in the District
Court.
The Dutch came to Norway because of an investigation of a terrorist
financing case, where seven LTTEers were arrested last year.In April
last year, Dutch police went to sixteen different addresses and made
comprehensive apprehensions after the national security police (AIVD)
had been investigating possible funding of the LTTE from the Netherlands
for some time.LTTE’s 52-year old “chief accountant” and the alleged
leader of the LTTE in the Netherland (46) were among the
arrested.According to Dutch court documents, the LTTE in the Netherlands
has an “iron-grip” on the Tamil minority in the country.
Those who do not support the LTTE with money are threatened with
retaliations, it says in the Dutch Court documents.Secretary of State in
the Ministry of Justice says that he does not believe other countries
perceive Norway as a safe haven for terrorists.
He confirms that he knew about the Dutch case and the interrogation
in the Oslo Court District.- I am glad the international police
cooperation works in these cases and I am glad that these types of
interrogations are conducted, he said.
Courtesy: Norway News |