Source: National Post - 4-jul-08

The star witness in the so-called "Toronto 18" terror prosecutions said Thursday that the youth currently on trial should be acquitted of the charge of participating in a terrorist group.

"There is a reasonable doubt," said Mubin Shaikh, 32, as he spoke to the media after pleading guilty to "threatening bodily harm" in an unrelated incident at a Toronto schoolyard in April, 2007.

Final arguments in the trial of the youth are scheduled to begin next week. The now 20-year-old defendant, who did not testify at his trial, is accused of attending two training camps and of shoplifting for a sleeper cell.

"I knew the purpose of the camp. I can tell you the accused was not told," said Mr. Shaikh. "I do not have any direct knowledge to suggest he knew the purpose of the camp," added Mr. Shaikh. He said the youth believed the camp was for religious purposes.

Mr. Shaikh also defended his recent testimony at the trial of the youth, where the Crown took the step of cross-examining its own witness, arguing that there were inconsistencies with his earlier statements to police.

According to Mr. Shaikh, who was paid over $300,000 by the RCMP to infiltrate the alleged terror group as a civilian police agent, his evidence has always been consistent.

"I would argue against the Crown attacking me as a liar" he stated. "I have said the same thing from day one. The truth does not change," said Mr. Shaikh.

While he has been well compensated for his actions, Mr. Shaikh suggested he is a very credible witness and added that he is looking forward to testifying in the upcoming trial of the 10 adult defendants. "I am nobody's shill," he stressed.

Mr. Shaikh was originally facing two counts of assault in addition to the threatening charge, following the April, 2007 incident.

In an unusual court proceeding Thursday, the prosecutor assigned to the case told the judge that she had just received the court file that morning and needed time to make calls. This is even though the charges were laid over a year ago and the date for the trial was set several months ago.

About 90 minutes later, the court heard that a plea bargain had been reached. The Crown dropped the assault charges and Mr. Shaikh received a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to the threatening offence. It means he will not have a criminal record.

The court heard that Mr. Shaikh was involved in a dispute with two 12-year-old girls while walking his infant children through a schoolyard in an Etobicoke neighbourhood.

Mr. Shaikh admitted to saying to the girls "do you know who I am, I am going to chop off your legs," during the dispute.

"He was excessive in his terminology," defence lawyer Steven Hinkson told the court.

While he pleaded guilty to the threatening charge, Mr. Shaikh said outside court that there were several young girls in the schoolyard that day, swarming his infant children.

They were also calling him "Taliban boy" and "Osama bin Laden" because of his physical appearance.

"They made the mistake of coming up on my kids," said Mr. Shaikh. "They had a mob mentality."

He suggested that disrespectful young people is a problem in that neighbourhood in Toronto.

"These kids have no respect for the public or for their own parents," he said.

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