Finland accuses four suspects of funding Al shabaab,Somalia
Finnish prosecutors have charged four people with funding terrorist organisations in what is set to be Finland’s first terrorism trial. One of them has also been charged with recruiting for terror organisations and preparing to commit acts of terror.
The prosecution grew out of an investigation by the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo). The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) started their investigation in 2011, interviewing nearly 40 people as they built their case. After the investigation was complete, prosecutors decided not to charge two people who had been treated as suspects.
Prosecutors suspect the crimes took place between 2008 and 2011. The four are suspected of collecting and sending thousands of euros to al-Shabaab despite knowing that the terror group would use it to fund terrorism.
One of the suspects is also suspected of recruiting his brother, who had been freed from an African prison, to join al-Shabaab. The same person is suspected of preparing to abduct and send the brother’s children from Finland to an al-Shabaab camp against their wishes. At the time of the offences the children were aged 15 and 17.
The prosecutor is set to argue that the accused planned to lure the children to Kenya before drugging them and transporting them over the border to al-Shabaab’s camp in Somalia.
Deputy State Prosecutor Jorma Kalske has filed the charges at Helsinki District Court. All the accused deny the charges.
