Swiss prosecutors to question LTTE leaders on money laundering!

Tuesday, June, 12, 2012
Geneva::The Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office will take its investigation into suspected money laundering by 12 members of the Swiss Tamil Tigers (LTTE) to the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, it was reported on Sunday.

The NZZ am Sonntag newspaper reported that in the Netherlands, Swiss prosecutors planned to interview the head of finance of the LTTE who is imprisoned there. In Sri Lanka, prosecutors will question some 25 people from senior ranks of the Tamil Tigers, some of whom are currently imprisoned.

Jeannette Balmer, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office told the paper the aim of the investigations, due to take place in autumn, was to strengthen the money laundering case against the 12 Swiss Tamils who were.

"It's to prove that the Swiss branch of the global LTTE knowingly and willingly misused money from illegally obtained loans to inject it into the international finance circuit of the organisation," Balmer said.

The prosecutor's office suspects that the Tamils used fake payslips or Sri Lankans resident in Switzerland to obtain loans of between SFr70,000 - 100,000 ($73,000 - 104,000). Once obtained, the cash was couriered to Sri Lanka where it was laundered locally and eventually used to finance the purchase of weapons during the civil war, the prosecutor believes.

The investigations in Sri Lanka come after the Swiss Prosecutor's Office made an official request to Sri Lankan authorities in 2011, which was granted.

In 2010, Swiss Police in a nationally coordinated operation, raided several properties and arrested twelve LTTE cadres, accusing them of involvement in a criminal group as well as money laundering.

"During the course of the investigation, the suspicion that, for many years, the accused persons had forced their fellow countrymen of the Tamil Diaspora to financially support the LTTE, was substantiated," Swiss Attorney-General's office said.

"The victims in Switzerland were put under severe pressure, threatened, or subjected to extortion," it added.

Authorities found that the accused had forced their fellow countrymen to take out large loans, and to hand over the funds. Those who refused were threatened with reprisals, international media reported.

"Several million Swiss francs were raised and transferred to Sri Lanka where they were used to finance Tamil Tiger activities, in particular, in the purchase of 'war materials," said the AG office.