At the courts
Man charged over online transfers of nearly $900 to finance terrorist group
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A man appeared in a district court yesterday after he allegedly transferred nearly $900 in total through online platforms to finance terrorist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Bangladeshi Ahmed Faysal, 27, who appeared in court via video link, was handed 15 charges under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act.
In a statement yesterday, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said that Ahmed started working as a construction worker here in early 2017 and became radicalised the following year.
He was then attracted to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militant group's goal of establishing an Islamic caliphate in Syria.
The MHA added: "In mid-2019, Ahmed Faysal shifted his allegiance to (HTS), another militant group fighting to establish an Islamic caliphate in Syria. HTS is designated as a terrorist entity under the United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to the prevention and suppression of terrorism and terrorist financing."
According to court documents, Ahmed allegedly transferred the monies through online platforms JustGiving, Heroic Hearts Organisation and GiveBrite from February to October last year. He is accused of doing so to contribute to two fund-raising campaigns - Medical Aid Syria and Ramadan 2020 Emergency Homes for Syria. Court documents do not state if these were fronts for HTS. Each charge is said to involve between $5 and about $400 in cash.
In its statement, the MHA said that he was aware that these monies could either entirely or in part be used to benefit HTS' cause in Syria.
An MHA spokesman said: "The act of providing money that one has reasonable grounds to believe will benefit terrorist entities, regardless of the amount and purpose, is a serious offence under the (Act).
"Terrorism and terrorism financing are grave threats to domestic and international security, and global action is required to deprive terrorist groups of funding and materials. Singapore is part of this global effort and is strongly committed to combating terrorism financing, regardless of whether the monies are used to facilitate terrorist acts locally or abroad."
Ahmed was later arrested under the Internal Security Act for terrorism-related activities and issued with an Order of Detention.
Yesterday, the court heard that he intends to plead guilty on Feb 16 next year.
