A Singaporean man who had been charged with offences relating to terror funding in April last year has been convicted. The 36-year old, identified as Imran Kassim, is the second Singaporean to be convicted in a terror funding case. A former logistics operator, Kassim had provided $450 to an operative of the Islamic State.
During his hearing on Monday, he admitted swiftly of having made the transactions and appeared in support of the Islamic State. Though he was the first Singaporean to be charged for terror financing, the first to be convicted is a former IT professional Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir Sheik Uduman, who was convicted last October for funding terror.
Charges against Imran Kassim
The 36-year old former logistics professional was charged with transferring $450 to Mohammad Alsaied Alhmidan in Turkey, for ISIS propaganda. Mohammad Alsaied has been enlisted by the United States as a specially designated terrorist. Kassim has been under detention since April, 2017, under the country's Internal Security Act for intending to take part in violence overseas, Strait Times reported.
Singaporean law dealing with terror financing
The Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act was introduced in 2002, under which the crime can draw a prison term of up to 10 years, or a fine of not more than $500,000, or both.
Imran Kassim's trial
In his trial on Monday [January 13], Kassim swiftly accepted of having funded the ISIS. "I do admit to making the transfer, and I did it to benefit the Islamic State," he said. Though he held that he hadn't broken any law, as he recognized the Shariyah law (Islamic law) only. The prosecutors noted that the transfer took place on October 31, 2014, which had Imran's handwriting and signature.
Though during the trial, Kassim asked the prosecutors how they knew that the man he transferred money to was the same person enlisted by the U.S. as a specially designated terrorist. Multiple persons can have the same name, he argued.
Kassim's family was also present in the open court and pleaded him to say that he was supporting "charitable causes" and not violence. He refused and said other countries have taken part in killings as well, in the war against the Islamic State. A family member asked him to "think about his family", to which he replied that it has "nothing to do with family". He also said said there were "exaggerations" in how ISIS was portrayed.
Similar convictions in the past
Imran Kassim is the second Singaporean to be convicted for terror financing. The first one was a former IT professional Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir Sheik Uduman (35), who was convicted in October, last year. He was pronounced a two-and-a-half prison term for transferring $1,145 for terror purposes.
