"We have collected about $1 1/2 million since the tsunami and 97 percent of that money has been spent in north and east Sri Lanka. Some of it went to New Orleans for Katrina relief." Acknowledging that the Tigers exercise control in north and east Sri Lanka, Ranjithan said that TRO is required to deal with the controlling group in order to get relief to the war and tsunami victims there."If Sri Lanka doesn't send any relief, if the Red Cross doesn't send relief, who will try to help the people out?  I see this as a moral problem for me. The authorities would like to see us silenced and stop our organization. I have seen the suffering and I try to do what I can to help.TRO has been under federal scrutiny for at least a year and a half or two - which is OK - they have to impose their laws. ..A group called Charity Navigator evaluated us the last two years and gave us a four-star rating both years for sound fiscal management.... To say we are giving money to people to buy arms, I don't know where that comes from... e are visible, transparent and have been put through more scrutiny than most charitable organizations"

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As a leading physician in the Queen City for the past 30 years, Dr. Nagaratnam Ranjithan is used to dealing with the unexpected. When a team of FBI agents arrived at his home before dawn Tuesday he may have been surprised but he was not shocked.

It was Ranjithan's role as president of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization - a relief organization that helps war and tsunami victims in his home country of Sri Lanka - that drew the attention of federal investigators. "I gave them some papers that I had in my home and then I took the agents to my office. At least 10 agents were there. They searched for four hours. They took my computer and promised to have it back in 24 hours but I haven't seen it yet," said the board-certified nephrologist late Tuesday morning.

Court documents, according to The New York Times, identified the TRO as a "suspected front for a Tamil Tigers fund-raising organization." Ranjithan said TRO, which has its headquarters in Sri Lanka, was founded before civil war broke out in that island country more than two decades ago.

"There has been a lot of pressure from the Sri Lankan government on the U.S. government to stop TRO from functioning because they are convinced that TRO is a front organization for the Tamil Tigers. That view is public knowledge on a lot of Web sites.

"TRO is a relief organization and is mandated to do relief work in north and east of Sri Lanka where the people receive no relief from the government. TRO is the primary relief organization in north and east of Sri Lanka for the last 10 to 15 years for up to a million and a half people," said Ranjithan.

Just days after returning from a TRO fund-raising trip to California, Ranjithan sat re-laxed in his Oldtown Road medical office talking about his encounter with FBI agents from Baltimore and New Jersey.

"We have collected about $1 1/2 million since the tsunami and 97 percent of that money has been spent in north and east Sri Lanka. Some of it went to New Orleans for Katrina relief," said Ranjithan, who joined the Western Maryland Health System medical staff in 1976.

Acknowledging that the Tigers exercise control in north and east Sri Lanka, Ranjithan said that TRO is required to deal with the controlling group in order to get relief to the war and tsunami victims there.

"If Sri Lanka doesn't send any relief, if the Red Cross doesn't send relief, who will try to help the people out?  I see this as a moral problem for me. The authorities would like to see us silenced and stop our organization. I have seen the suffering and I try to do what I can to help.

"TRO has been under federal scrutiny for at least a year and a half or two - which is OK - they have to impose their laws. But please understand we are trying to help these people, which we feel we must do.It's easy for the Sri Lankan government to accuse us, but we would not be functioning if there was not a need and Sri Lanka took care of the people. Then I could live my life like everyone else. TRO only deals with the Tigers in relief activities and the Sri Lankan government recognized TRO in Sri Lanka for tsunami relief. A group called Charity Navigator evaluated us the last two years and gave us a four-star rating both years for sound fiscal management. Any connection with the Tigers is more imagined than real."

TRO has to work with the Tigers' officials to identify the people that need relief," he said while admitting that his role with TRO may now have an adverse effect. "There are rumors and they have a way of snowballing. It will make my life harder, I guess. I am having to pay a price for doing something good. "If they had any evidence, I am sure they would have arrested and charged me by now.

"I have been in this country 30 years and I feel saddened that it is so easy to destroy someone's reputation. I don't think this is the way the system of government is to work. I am very happy that I have spent 12 years of my life helping people back home. I don't think every man gets a chance like that. I feel a little bit humiliated and a little saddened that in democracy accusations be-come facts and destroy a person's reputation. You feel saddened that is the way the world operates. Fear should not take us away from sensible things. We have to find all the facts and then make a judgment. To say we are giving money to people to buy arms, I don't know where that comes from."

Ranjithan said that TRO has no overhead. "I pay for my own fund-raising trips and expenses to make sure we don't give room to people to criticize us for being selfish or dictatorial," said Ranjithan.

"They can go through what we have done for the past 12 years. We are visible, transparent and have been put through more scrutiny than most charitable organizations," said Ranjithan before leaving his office to visit his patients at nearby Memorial Hospital.

"My actions speak louder than words," he said.

Robert Nardoza, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, said late Tuesday morning that the investigation that included the search of Ranjithan's office is continuing. He declined to comment on whether any charges would be filed against Ranjithan.

Jeff Alderton can be reached at .