Four Somali Finns alleged to have financed terrorism

HELSINKI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — Four Finns of Somali origin face prosecution in Finland for allegedly financing terrorism, local media reported Wednesday.

Finnish prosecutors said the four people collected funds and sent them to al-Shabaab in East Africa. The sums collected between January 2008 and January 2011 amounted to several thousand euros.

Their trial is to begin in October and will be the first terrorism-related court case in Finland. The prosecution is seeking imprisonment on probation. One of the persons will also face charges of enlisting a person to commit an act of terrorism and of preparing a crime involving the intention of terrorism.

The suspects denied the charges during police investigations. They have all lived in Finland for a long time.

State Prosecutor Juha-Mikko Hamalainen told national radio that the sums as such are small, but they should be viewed against the backdrop of the personal wealth of the suspects and the value of the euro in East Africa.

The activities were uncovered after investigations by the Finnish Security Police.