The Canada Revenue Agency has revoked the charitable status of the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee-Aid Society of Ottawa. The agency said Saturday that the society "was operating as part of the support network for the LTTE," which Canada and the United Nations have declared a terrorist organization.
The government "has made it very clear that it will not tolerate the abuse of the registration system for charities to provide any means of support to terrorism," the agency said in a news release.
The society provided $713,000 to a group supporting the Tamil Tigers, a news release said.
"The CRA audit also indicates that fundraising conducted under the society's auspices involved an individual who has been convicted in the United States of conspiring to provide material support to the LTTE."
The society's liaison officer for Sri Lanka was named in documents filed with the Federal Court of Canada as a contact with the World Tamil Movement, also a terrorist organization because of its ties to the Tamil Tigers.
De-listing the society as a charity means it is no longer exempt from income tax and may have to pay tax equal to the full value of its remaining assets.
Dailymirror, CBC
The government "has made it very clear that it will not tolerate the abuse of the registration system for charities to provide any means of support to terrorism," the agency said in a news release.
The society provided $713,000 to a group supporting the Tamil Tigers, a news release said.
"The CRA audit also indicates that fundraising conducted under the society's auspices involved an individual who has been convicted in the United States of conspiring to provide material support to the LTTE."
The society's liaison officer for Sri Lanka was named in documents filed with the Federal Court of Canada as a contact with the World Tamil Movement, also a terrorist organization because of its ties to the Tamil Tigers.
De-listing the society as a charity means it is no longer exempt from income tax and may have to pay tax equal to the full value of its remaining assets.
Dailymirror, CBC
