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Second Terror Suspect Charged With Planning Attacks in Ont. Granted Bail

Posted on: Thursday, 20 July 2006, 21:00 CDT

By MATTHEW CHUNG

BRAMPTON, Ont. (CP) - A second terror suspect charged with participating in a plot to carry out attacks in Ontario was granted bail Thursday.

Twenty-one-year-old Ahmad Ghany of Mississauga, Ont., became the first of 12 adult suspects to be released from custody after a justice of the peace granted him bail for $140,000 and put him under house arrest. Ghany is charged with knowingly participating in a terrorist group and receiving training for activity in a terrorist group.

His parents will post $100,000 while the remaining $40,000 is being posted by two other sureties.

Ghany's bail conditions require him to stay at his parents' home unless he is accompanied by either of his parents, or one of his other two sureties.

He is, however, able to attend work, school, court, hospital, and his lawyer's office unaccompanied.

He is not to communicate with the other accused or leave Ontario.

Ghany must hand over all travel documents, including passport, and cannot apply for any new travel documents.

Ghany's family members, including his wife, mother and father, embraced each other in court upon hearing the decision.

Ghany was arrested on June 2 along with 11 other adults and five youth for alleged terrorist activities.

A lawyer for one of the accused, 25-year-old Steven Chand, has said his client has been accused of being part of a plot to set off bombs in downtown Toronto and to storm the House of Commons to decapitate Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Due to a sweeping publication ban, evidence brought before the court at the bail hearing cannot be reported.

Justice of the peace Hilda Weiss's decision to release Ghany comes less than a week after one of his alleged co-conspirators, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was granted bail.

The youth was released last Friday under what his lawyer called "very strict conditions."

Aly Hindy, the controversial imam of the Salahuddin Islamic Centre, was at Ghany's bail hearing Thursday for "moral support."

Hindy said Ghany's release gives hope to his alleged co-conspirators and to the five Muslim men who were detained by the federal government under security certificates.

"I'm very happy, I'm hopeful you know," Hindy said. "Actually, not only me but even the people on the security certificates, when they knew about the release of the young guy a few days ago, they (were) also hopeful they will be released."

Neither the Crown nor Ghany's defence lawyers would comment on the decision outside court.

With his head down and a smile on his face, Ghany and his family marched from the courthouse to a car with lawyer Rocco Galati and declined to answer media questions on how it felt to be free.

Ghany, who will report to police every Monday, is to appear in court next on Aug. 28.

The majority of the other suspects are still awaiting decisions on whether they will be granted bail.

Two of the youth suspects have been denied bail, as has 19-year-old Saad Khalid.

Source: Canadian Press

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