Melbourne, July 11 (PTI): Family and friends of Arumugam Rajeevan, charged with supporting a terrorist organisation, have rejected allegations of him being a terrorist saying he was a supporter of the Tamil people.

Rajeevan, a financial planner who moved to Sydney from Melbourne two years ago, yesterday became the third Australian charged with terrorism offences related to the alleged siphoning of funds to Sri Lanka based, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The 40-year-old, father of two, was arrested by Australian Federal Police and Victorian Police anti-terrorism investigation team from his west Sydney home and faces a sentence of upto 25 years, if proven guilty.

"Because there are so many killings going on, he just supports the Tamil people," his wife was qouted as saying by 'The Australian' newspaper yesterday. However, she said, she did not know much about his "social world".

He was charged with being a member of the LTTE, providing support or resources and making funds available to the organisation.

Rajeevan, allegedly was a LTTE member in Melbourne and and made funds available to the group.

Rajeevan told the newspaper, 10 AFP officers had come to his home on May 1 with a search warrant and took away many documents, passports, mobile phones and a computer, which was later returned.

Rajeevan is expected to appear in Melbourne Magistrate's court today.