IN DEPTH
Toronto bomb plot
'Toronto 18' timeline: Key events in the case
Last Updated: Thursday, October 8, 2009 | 1:02 PM ET
CBC News
In the summer of 2006, police carried out a massive anti-terrorism sweep in southern Ontario. Seventeen suspects — 13 adults and four youths — were arrested in a series of June raids, while another suspect was detained two months later.
By 2008, the number of accused had dwindled to 11, including one youth suspect and 10 adults.
As of October 2009, four adults have admitted guilt in the affair. Another suspect — a minor at the time of his arrest — was tried under youth justice laws and convicted of conspiring to bomb several targets.
The Crown alleges that the group's potential targets were the CN Tower, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Toronto CSIS office.
Here are the most recent developments in the case:
Oct. 8, 2009:
Zakaria Amara pleads guilty to charges of knowingly participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion for the benefit of a terrorist group.
Amara, 24, has been accused of being one of the ringleaders in the alleged plot.
- CBC STORY: Alleged Toronto 18 ringleader pleads guilty
Oct. 2, 2009:
Ali Dirie, 26, is sentenced to seven years in prison and, after allowances for time already served, will spend two more years in custody. He will have to serve at least one year before he can apply for parole.
- CBC STORY: 'Toronto 18' member to serve two more years
Sept. 28, 2009:
Saad Gaya, 21, pleads guilty to committing a criminal offence for a terrorist group. At the time of his arrest in 2006, Gaya was a high school honour student.
- CBC STORY: Another 'Toronto 18' member pleads guilty
Sept. 21, 2009:
Ali Mohamed Dirie, 26, pleads guilty to one count of participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Both Crown and defence ask the judge to give Dirie a seven-year sentence, but differ on how much credit he should be granted for time served.
- CBC STORY: 'Toronto 18' member pleads guilty
Sept. 3, 2009:
Saad Khalid, 23, is sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of intending to cause an explosion. Khalid was credited with seven years for time already served, for the 39 months in pre-trial custody.
- CBC STORY: Toronto bomb plotter Khalid gets 14 years
May 22, 2009:
The youth in the group, now 21, is sentenced to 2½ years in prison, eight months after he was convicted of participating in a terrorist activity. The youth walks free hours after his sentencing hearing in Brampton, Ont., because the judge ruled he'd already served enough time in custody.
May 4, 2009:
Saad Khalid pleads guilty to a charge of intending to cause an explosion. A judge bans publication of the plea until May 5. The case is set over to June when the judge will hear evidence on information behind the guilty plea.
Khalid is the first adult from the group arrested in the summer of 2006 on suspicion of terrorism to admit to playing a role in the alleged plot.
March 24, 2009:
Ontario Superior Court Justice John Sproat rules that the guilty verdict against one of the youths involved in the Toronto bomb plot will stand. Sproat says the youth was not entrapped by a paid RCMP mole.
Dec. 16, 2008:
The Ontario Court of Appeal upholds a lower court's decision to deny bail to one of the alleged ringleaders of the so-called Toronto 18.
Sept. 25, 2008:
An Ontario Superior Court judge convicts the first of 11 men accused in the alleged plot to bomb several Canadian targets, including Parliament Hill, RCMP headquarters and nuclear power plants.
The accused, who was charged as a youth and therefore cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is found guilty of participating in a terrorist activity. He also becomes the first person in Canada to be convicted under federal anti-terror legislation passed in 2001.
In his ruling, Judge John Sproat says evidence that a terrorist conspiracy existed was "overwhelming."
- CBC STORY: 20-year-old convicted in Toronto terror plot
Aug. 7, 2008:
In closing arguments in the youth suspect's trial, defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky tells court that the Crown had failed to prove the group was, in fact, a real militant cell.
June 10, 2008: CSIS informant Mubin Shaikh begins his much-anticipated testimony by detailing how he infiltrated the group of alleged militants. He told court that the alleged plot was well-developed before he became involved with the conspirators.
May 30, 2008: Crown prosecutors begin presenting their case in the trial of the remaining youth suspect.
RCMP Cpl. John Mecher tells the court that investigators recovered spent shell casings and a bullet-riddled tree trunk at or near an alleged extremist training camp north of Toronto. Police also seized a bomb-making manual, a video showing a small explosive being detonated by cellphone and a collection of cellphones and circuit boards from one of the adult suspects' homes, the court hears.
Defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky, meanwhille, suggests the alleged plan was "always a fantasy."
April 15, 2008: In a surprising development, Crown prosecutors ask for a stay of proceedings against four suspects — Abdul Qayyum Jamal, Ahmad Mustafa Ghany, Ibrahim Aboud and Yasim Mohamed.
April 11, 2008: Defence lawyer Faisal Mirza challenges the anti-terrorism law under which his client, who cannot be named under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is charged. Mirza says it doesn't outline what is considered lawful participation in an armed conflict.
March 26, 2008: Court documents are released, including transcripts of alleged conversations in which the accused said they hoped their attacks would far exceed the London subway bombings a year earlier. A defence lawyer files court documents saying the defence will show that a so-called jihadist training camp run by some of the accused was nothing more than a screening exercise for possible recruits to Islamic militancy.
March 25, 2008: The trial of one of 15 suspects begins. The accused, who was 18 at the time of his arrest and cannot be named under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded not guilty.
Nov. 5, 2007: Abdul Qayyum Jamal is granted bail and the most serious charge against him — planning to cause a deadly explosion — is dropped.
Oct. 22, 2007: Bomb plot suspect Steven Chand, also known as Abdul Shakur, is denied bail.
Sept. 24, 2007: Federal prosecutors take the unusual step to stop the suspects' preliminary hearing and go straight to trial. This is an option available to the deputy attorney general or attorney general under exceptional circumstances. Charges are stayed against the accused, then charges are re-issued. Five defendants now face additional charges, and three have one charge dropped apiece.
July 31, 2007: Charges were stayed against two other youths in connection with the bust. The decision came after an agreement was reached between the Crown and defence lawyers.
- CBC STORY: 2 youths freed in bomb plot case
Feb. 23, 2007: Charges against the youngest suspect were stayed. The 16-year-old from Mississauga, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was originally granted bail in July 2006.
The stay means the charges are withdrawn, but can be reactivated within a year if the Crown decides it has enough evidence to support the charges. Michael Block, lawyer for the teen, said it's rare that charges would be reactivated.
Jan. 16, 2007: A preliminary hearing begins for four youths, all under 18, accused of belonging to a group allegedly involved in the bomb plot. The preliminary hearing is subject to a publication ban and the evidence cannot be reported. Three of the four suspects are out on bail, while the fourth remains in custody.
Oct. 13, 2006: The existence of a second police mole in the investigation is revealed. The man, an agricultural engineer in his 20s, is from a wealthy family of Egyptian descent. The man is under police protection pending the trial and his identity is withheld to protect his family.
- CBC STORY: 2nd mole played key role in bomb plot probe
Sept. 19, 2006: Zakaria Amara, 21, is denied bail for reason that can't be revealed because of a publication ban.
Aug. 15, 2006: A Brampton justice of the peace denies bail to one of the people charged in the case, 20-year-old Amin Durrani.
Aug. 8, 2006: A fourth person charged in the alleged bomb plot is granted bail. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is released on $137,000 bail. His bail conditions dictate that he cannot leave the province and must surrender all his travel documents. He also must stay in his parents' house at all times unless accompanied by one of his six sureties. His outside communication is limited to the phone, but only to speak with his sureties, authorities or his lawyers.
Aug. 3, 2006: Police arrest Ibrahim Alkhalel Mohammed Aboud, 19, at his home in Mississauga, Ont., in connection with the alleged bomb plot. Aboud's arrest is the first in connection with the case since the sweep in early June.
Meanwhile, a justice of the peace denies bail to Asad Ansari, 21, for reasons that cannot be released because of a publication ban. Ansari's lawyer says his client plans to seek a second bail hearing before a judge.
July 24, 2006: An Ontario judge grants bail to the youngest of 17 suspects, a 16-year-old who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The decision overturns the ruling of a justice of the peace, who denied bail to the teen June 27. His bail conditions stipulate that he must live with his parents, cannot communicate with his alleged co-conspirators and must report to police. A $15,000 surety is put up by his parents.
- CBC STORY: Youngest terrorism suspect gets bail
July 20, 2006: Ahmad Ghany, 21, is released after posting bail of $140,000. Ghany's lawyer and the Crown came to an agreement on house arrest before the bail hearing, but the details of that agreement cannot be revealed because of a publication ban.
Under the conditions of his bail, Ghany must live with his parents, report to police weekly, cannot communicate with his co-accused and may only leave his parents' house unaccompanied to attend work, school, court, a hospital or his lawyer's office.
July 17, 2006: One of the 17 bomb-plot suspects, Saad Khalid of Mississauga, is denied bail. He was charged in June 2006 with participating in a terrorist group, receiving training with a terrorist group, and intent to cause an explosion likely to harm people or damage property.
- CBC STORY: 3rd bomb-plot suspect denied bail
July 14, 2006: A teen facing terrorism-related charges is granted bail, making him the first of 17 suspects implicated in an alleged bomb plot to be released from jail. The 18-year-old faces charges of belonging to and training with a terrorist organization.
July 13, 2006: A prominent member of Toronto's Indo-Canadian Muslim community tells CBC's The Fifth Estate he worked as an informant in the bomb plot investigation. Mubin Shaikh, who calls himself an "observant Muslim," said he was a paid undercover informant for the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service for more than two years, working much of that time with the suspects in the alleged bomb plot.
June 27, 2006: The two youngest people charged in connection with the alleged bomb plot — a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old who was 17 at the time of arrest — are denied bail by a justice of the peace in a Brampton, Ont. courtroom.
June 26, 2006: Nine of the suspects appear in a Brampton, Ont., court to set future court appearances. Two others appear via video link.
June 12, 2006: A justice of the peace imposes a publication ban on the proceedings against the suspects in the alleged bomb plot. Lawyers for some of the suspects speak out against the ban. Lawyer Rocco Galati says he will appeal the ban on the grounds that it's unfair because of the damaging allegations that have been made in public against his clients.
The lawyers also claim that their clients are being mistreated. Galati says the accused are being kept in rooms that are lit 24 hours a day and have been denied access to the outdoors for the first five days. They are fed through a slot in the door, he says, and their food is taken away after five minutes.
David Kolinsky, a lawyer representing Zakaria Amara, says his client laughed when a guard touched his ribs while searching him. Kolinsky claims the guard then pinned his client down, drilled his finger into his cheek and said "Is this funny?"
June 10, 2006: Muslim leaders in Toronto meet privately with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to discuss their concerns about an anti-Muslim backlash after the arrests.
Muslims representing about 30 mosques in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec call for a zero-tolerance policy in mosques and community centres against preaching "any form of hatred or intolerance."
June 9, 2006: Court documents made available to CBC News indicate that CSIS and RCMP agents have been watching the group since January 2006. The documents mention intercepted telephone conversations, observations of suspects brandishing semi-automatic weapons, and the contents of a note in one of the suspect's luggage during a flight from Pakistan to Canada in March this year.
- CBC STORY: Agents watched bomb plot suspects for more than 6 months
- CBC STORY: Some Islamic conferences radicalizing youth: critics
June 8, 2006: Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin, a Muslim religious leader in Toronto, says he knows some of the bomb plot suspects and witnessed them change to become radicalized introverts.
June 6, 2006: Lawyer Gary Batasar, who represents suspect Steven Chand, says his client is accused of planning to storm Parliament, behead the prime minister and attack a number of sites, including CBC headquarters in Toronto.
Defence lawyers for the accused say they haven't had enough time to prepare and haven't seen the evidence against their clients. They ask that bail hearings for their clients be postponed and most are rescheduled to June 12.
- CBC STORY: Suspect accused of wanting to behead PM, lawyer claims
- CBC STORY: CBC building in Toronto may have been target
- CBC STORY: Internet may have played role in bomb plot
June 5, 2006: The charges against the 17 suspects are made public. All face charges under the Anti-terrorism Act and six face explosives charges.
RCMP assistant commissioner Mike McDonell tells CBC News the investigation is not over and more charges and arrests could follow.
- CBC STORY: 6 face explosives charges in alleged plot
- CBC STORY: More arrests expected in alleged bomb plot
- CBC STORY: Suspect in bomb plot is against violence, father says
June 4, 2006: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praises the arrests in Toronto. "It is obviously a very great success for the Canadian counter-terrorism efforts, which have been very robust," she says. Other American officials criticize Canada for lax immigration rules and border security.
A mosque in Toronto is vandalized overnight. The mosque's glass entrance and 28 large windows are broken.
- CBC STORY: Canada gathers praise, criticism after arrests
- CBC STORY: Mosque vandalized after bomb-plot sweep
- CBC STORY: Islam not violent, Toronto Muslims say
- CBC STORY: Theories surface about what led to Ontario arrests
June 3, 2006: Law enforcement officials name the 17 people they have accused in the case and say they are "adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaeda."
The 15 men arrested in Toronto and Mississauga appear in court and are remanded into police custody. They are scheduled to have bail hearings June 6.
- CBC STORY: Accused 'inspired by al-Qaeda,' say police
- CBC STORY: Alleged terror group participants came from all walks of life
- CBC STORY: Plot suspects appear in court
- CBC STORY: International connection emerges in alleged Ontario plot: FBI
June 2, 2006: More than a dozen teams of police officers — as many as 400 officers and security officers in all — raid homes in Toronto and Mississauga, Ont., and arrest 10 men and five youths. Two other suspects are already incarcerated in Kingston.
