33 months’ jail for S’porean who sent S$450 to Isis and declared he doesn't recognise Singapore's laws

SINGAPORE — A Singaporean who transferred S$450 to benefit the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis), then claimed trial by saying he did not recognise Singapore's laws, was sentenced to two years and nine months behind bars on Tuesday (Jan 14).

More details emerged in court as well of how Imran Kassim sent the money to an individual in Turkey in 2014 to publish Isis propaganda.

Imran, a 36-year-old former managing director of a logistics firm, was found guilty of terrorism financing under the Terrorism (Suppression of Finance) Act on Tuesday.

During his one-day trial on Monday, he told the court that he recognised only Syariah (Islamic) law and wanted to benefit Isis through his actions.

In convicting Imran, who was detained under the Internal Security Act in August 2017, District Judge Seah Chi-Ling found that his defence was “clearly without basis in our laws”.

Imran had further argued that Singapore’s stance against Isis comprised “a lot of inconsistencies, hyperbole and gross exaggeration”, and that Isis’ opponents have themselves committed atrocities.

District Judge Seah said: “Even if this was proven, which has not been, it does not give rise to a known defence in criminal law.”

When asked if he had anything to say in mitigation, Imran replied: “I think I’ve said everything I had to say yesterday.”

For providing property and services for terrorist purposes, he could have been jailed up to 10 years, fined up to S$500,000, or both.

Imran became the second Singaporean to be prosecuted for terrorism financing, after 35-year-old Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir Sheik Uduman was jailed two-and-a-half years last year for giving more than S$1,000 to a Jamaican preacher who had been imprisoned for stirring racial hatred.

USED ENCRYPTED APP TO REMIT MONEY

Imran had begun taking an interest in Isis since 2013 and followed their videos, including those on executions, Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) Nicholas Khoo and Foo Shi Hao revealed.

After unsuccessfully trying to join Isis in Syria in early 2014 under the cover of providing humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees, he pledged his allegiance to the group on his Facebook account in July that year.

A few months later, he saw a call for donations posted by the Turkish individual — Mohamad Alsaied Alhmidan, known to Imran as Aidin — on Facebook.

When he told Aidin he wanted to donate money to Isis, Aidin told him to download an encrypted mobile application and gave him other remittance details.

Imran remitted the money through a Western Union branch in Tampines on Oct 31, 2014. He then deleted the app to hide the evidence of his transfer and to evade detection, he told the authorities in his statements after being detained.

DPP Khoo cited this as an aggravating factor and said that Imran published pro-Isis articles on at least three Facebook pages, so that his friends could see them.

“Seen in the context of the accused’s persistent support for Isis, his transfer of S$450 to Aidin was clearly no aberration. Rather, it was done in a deliberate fashion, consistent with the accused’s unabashed and unrepentant support for Isis, which persists to this very day,” the prosecutor added.

Imran also displayed no remorse, DPP Khoo pointed out, by repeatedly stating during the trial that he does not recognise Singapore law “despite being a Singaporean who has enjoyed the benefits of his Singapore citizenship his entire life”.

‘SIDED WITH THE ENEMY’

Imran’s younger brother, who did not wish to be named, told reporters after the hearing that his brother was the “kindest person I know”.

“I cannot remember a time when he raised his voice or laid a hand on me. He’s a very principled man — he will never lie, not even a harmless white lie, nor will he intentionally mislead people,” he said.

Still, he said that the family stands with Singapore against his actions.

“He wanted to protect people — save civilians and not kill them — but he has sided with the enemy of Singapore who uses fear, intimidation and manipulation as a means to their end. We fully reject Isis as an organisation,” the brother added.