Thirteen Tamils accused of fraud, falsifying documents, extortion and money laundering in order to fund the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are to stand trial in Switzerland on Monday.
The men, from Germany, Switzerland and Sri Lanka, are accused of sending $15.3 million to the LTTE.
“The Attorney General strongly suspects the LTTE fraction under investigation of having collected the money in question by means of threats and by creating a regime of fear to induce them to make the payments,” a court document noted, the website Swiss Info reported.
The case has been criticised by the Swiss Council of Eelam Tamils who said that around 80% of Swiss Tamils had made payments to support the LTTE.
The LTTE is not proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Switzerland.