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Sri Lankan Terrorism Victims Charge Wall Street Hedge Fund Manager, Rajaratnam, With Financing Tamil Tigers
October 22, 2009Indicted Wall Street hedge fund manager Rajakumara Rajaratnam and his father, J. M. Rajaratnam, knowingly provided financial and other support to the Tamil Tigers, more than 30 victims and survivors of the terrorist group's attacks alleged today. In a complaint filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, family members of those killed and survivors of bombings committed by the group formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), alleged that Rajaratnam and the family foundation headed by his father provided millions of dollars in funds used for terrorist attacks. The seven-count complaint, the result of a year-long investigation, was filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act of 1789 which grants non U.S. citizens access to the U.S. Courts to seek justice for violations of "the law of nations," such as crimes against humanity and terrorism, no matter where they occur. "I will do anything to stop the LTTE menace and its suicide bombings," said Diyawadanage Subashini Sagarika Priyadarshani, widow of Kuruppu Appuhamylage Karunaratna, an Olympic athlete and champion marathon runner who was killed when an LTTE suicide bomber attacked the marathon in which he was running on April 6, 2008 in Weliweriya, Sri Lanka. Full release.