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Looking for Tiger claws in White Pigeon
From Neville de Silva in London
The UK Charity Commissioner who de-listed the UK-based Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) 10 days ago for links with the LTTE is looking at another organisation registered as a charity here for possible Tiger connections, informed sources said.

Under scrutiny is an organisation named The White Pigeon (Venn Pura) that sprang into public prominence after last December’s tsunami, though it had been in existence before then.

At the time it started collecting public donations it was not a registered charity. Leaflets distributed by The White Pigeon calling for funds gave the name of a registered charity it claimed was collaborating with the fund raising.
When a sympathetic British public made unprecedented donations to various charitable organisations and NGOs, The White Pigeon registered as a charity and obtained a number as an officially recognised charity.

However complaints had been lodged with the Charity Commission about the activities of The White Pigeon. Among the issues being examined is whether The White Pigeon collected public donations before it was registered as a charity in the UK on January 4, this year.

The Guardian report by Steven Morris said on January 1, “The White Pigeon said it has raised £500,000 from the Tamil community around Britain.”
Another matter being looked into is whether the TRO and The White Pigeon have some common trustees on their board.

Attempts to contact Dr. Sathya Moorthy, said to be a trustee of The White Pigeon, to verify this information failed as his office was closed and his mobile phone number was not made available to this correspondent.

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