Man in court charged with aiding terrorism

A Filipino man appeared in a Belfast court today accused of making money and property available for Islamic terrorists linked to the al-Qaida network.

Jaybe Ofrasio, 31, was arrested following an international police investigation centred around an alleged e-mail sent from the Far East.

Telephone records and financial transactions have also been studied as part of the inquiry, which has stretched from Australia and the Philippines to Northern Ireland, Belfast Magistrates Court heard.

Detective Inspector Mark Brown told the court the charges against the defendant related to Jemaah Islamiya, a group of Islamic fundamentalists believed to have close associations with Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida and other terrorist organisations.

He said: “The nature of the evidence will be computerised, there will be financial and telephone evidence which is being looked at.

“We conducted a number of searches in Belfast and a number of searches in the Philippines and we are looking to connect them.”

Mr Ofrasio, a cleaner and catering assistant whose address was given as Hawthorne Street in the city, faces two charges of making funds and property available on dates ranging between January 1, 2003 and October 19, 2003, knowing they would be used for terrorist purposes.

He was arrested last week with a female nurse believed to be working at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. She was later released without charge.

Mr Brown told the court the accused replied “no comment” when both charges were put to him. The detective added that he believed he could connect him with the offences.

During questioning by defence solicitor Catherine McGinley, the officer confirmed that the e-mail was sent from Malaysia.

He also disclosed that police believe the electronic message was sent through an internet service provider in Hong Kong.

Questioned about when the alleged agreement over property was struck, Mr Brown replied: “It is my belief it was entered into in September 2003 but it’s subject to evidential inquiries in the Philippines and Australia.”

Miss McGinley also told the court: “My client has given a full and frank account of how he became an associate with a person who is detained in South East Asia.”

Mr Ofrasio was remanded in custody to appear again in court on February 11.