Indonesian sentenced for aiding LTTE

A retired Indonesian Marine Corps general has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for trying to funnel weapons to LTTE terrorists, web based news sources said.

Federal prosecutors say 61-year-old Erick Wotulo conspired with three other men to export machine guns, surface-to-air missiles and other military hardware to the Tamil Tigers. The LTTE is been designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department in 1997.

Wotulo pleaded guilty to conspiring to aid LTTE and money laundering. He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and deported after his prison term ends, media reports added quoting Federal prosecutor.

Also convicted in the scheme were another Indonesian, Haji Subandi, a Singaporean, Haniffa Bin Osman, and a Sri Lankan, Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa. Subandi was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, and Varatharasa received a four-year, nine-month sentence. Osman is scheduled to be sentenced in August.