Singaporean Charged for Financing of Terrorism

1.     A 35-year-old Singaporean man, Imran Kassim (“Imran”), was charged in Court on 15 April 2019 for providing money to support ISIS’ propaganda efforts for terrorist purposes, an offence under section 4(b) of the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act, Chapter 325.

2.     Imran has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) since August 2017.  He had been investigated by the Internal Security Department and issued with a Detention Order (DO) for intending to undertake armed violence overseas.

3.     A parallel investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department also found that Imran had provided money amounting to $450 to an individual in Turkey on 31 October 2014 for the publication of ISIS propaganda.  This act of providing money in support of terrorist purposes is a serious offence, regardless of the amount, under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act.

4.     If Imran is convicted, the DO against him will be cancelled, and he will serve the imprisonment term imposed by the Court.  To prevent him spreading his radical ideas to other inmates, he will be held separately, and will continue to undergo rehabilitation whilst serving his prison sentence.  An assessment will be made at the end of his sentence whether he has been successfully rehabilitated or remains a threat to society. If he remains a threat, he may be detained further under the ISA.

5.     Globally, action is being taken to deprive terrorist groups of funding and materials. The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) has been at the forefront of driving the development and implementation of measures to counter the financing of terrorism. This includes ensuring that countries actively pursue terrorist financing to disrupt such activities, developing a global understanding of the risks associated with terrorist financing, and providing the necessary tools to combat the risks effectively. As an active member of the FATF, Singapore fully subscribes to the FATF standards, and the regime we have put in place to combat terrorist financing is in line with the standards.

6.     Members of the public are reminded not to remit money, of any amount, or provide any support through the provision of services, supplies or any material to a terrorist organisation or any member of a terrorist group. Anyone convicted of the offence of providing property and services for terrorist purposes shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $500,000, or both. Anyone with information of such activities should inform the authorities promptly.