A Melbourne man accused of supporting Islamic State jihadists in Syria by sending money that was collected online and deposited at a Sydney bank has faced court.
Hampton Park resident Isa Kocoglu, 43, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with supporting persons engaged in the Syrian conflict.
It’s alleged Kocoglu was an administrator of a website used by people who support Islamic State ideology when he helped raise funds for a known ISIS jihadist.
‘Kocoglu provided funding and support to a member of ISIS, as in a member who pledged allegiance to ISIS and was in fact conducting hostile activities in the state of Syria,’ Australian Federal Police agent Rhys Hart told the court.
It’s understood the ISIS member is American John Georgelas.
Kocoglu allegedly provided him with financial support between November 2013 and August 2014.
Mr Hart alleges Kocoglu helped deposit more than $3000 into the ISIS fighter’s PayPal account by making multiple cash deposits at the Commonwealth Bank branch at Kogarah, in Sydney’s south.
‘These funds were then remitted to another associate of the ISIS member believed to have died in a suicide attack in Syria,’ Mr Hart said.
The AFP say the money was used by Islamic State to fund their communications.
‘They were ostensibly used for the provision of satellite internet,’ Mr Hart said.
Some of the money was also used to help an injured ISIS member receive treatment in Turkey for shrapnel wounds to his back.
The ISIS fighter was smuggled in and out of Turkey before local authorities realised who he was, the AFP agent said….
During a press conference Tuesday morning, AFP’s Commander John Beveredige said it would be alleged Kocoglu donated up to $5000 between April 2013 and November 2014.
Mr Beveredige revealed the suspect receives a disability pension, which could possibly have been used to fund his donations.
Online banking records revealed he had transferred money in five to 10 separate installations intended for John Georgelas and another associate of the ISIS.
Police allege a radical website, which encouraged people to support ISIS, played a ‘significant’ role in the man coming to acquire an extremist and sympathetic allegiance towards Islamic State.
The 33-year-old US citizen who received money from Australian born Kocoglu is believed to be currently fighting alongside the terror group in Syria.
‘The suspect we have in custody we’re alleging has provided funds both online from himself and remitted funds from other people as well to this foreign fighter,’ Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said on Tuesday.
‘As well as providing support to actually fund the website that the foreign fighter ran, and in addition to that was an administrator of that website.’
‘We expect the suspect will be charged today and appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court.’
Police will also conduct an in depth analysis to determine exact details of the man’s online financial transactions.
‘Funding remitted has been from overseas and there was a number of funds placed into his bank account but we haven’t established who they’re from,’ Commander John Beveredige said….
