A suspect in an alleged plot to bomb Canadian buildings had applied to a flying school and considered using a plane for an attack, according to court documents revealed by Canadian radio.
But the suspect, Amin Mohamed Durani (19) did not attend the flying lessons, fearing that he would draw attention to himself, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Radio-Canada said on Wednesday, citing the court documents.
Durani was among 17 suspects, including five minors, arrested in a raid last Friday in Toronto in connection with the alleged al-Qaeda-inspired plot to attack high-profile targets in Ontario, Canada’s largest province.
Fifteen of them appeared in court on Tuesday in the Toronto suburb of Brampton.
An eight-page synopsis of the charges against the group said they planned to storm the Canadian Parliament and take hostages to demand that Muslim prisoners be freed and that Canada withdraw troops from Afghanistan, defence attorney Gary Batasar told Agence France-Presse.
If the demands were not met they would behead the hostages and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper as well, according to the charges, Batasar said.
Batasar, who represents one of the suspects, said his client had not discussed any of the charges, but added: ”There’s no basis for the allegations as far as I can see.” – AFP
