BRAMPTON, Ont. - An RCMP informant who helped thwart a domestic terrorist plot admits he feels guilty about the role he played in recruiting four youths to the group.
Mubin Shaikh is telling a Brampton, Ont., court he knew the teens would get caught up in the terrorism investigation as a result.
Shaikh concedes he was instrumental in bringing in one of the teens, who was found guilty last fall of terrorism-related offences as part of the so-called Toronto 18.
The defence is seeking to stay the proceedings against the youth on the grounds that he was entrapped by the police agent.
Shaikh also testified in Ontario Superior Court that he never told the RCMP he thought the youths should not be prosecuted.
He said he tried to explain to his handlers the teens' limited involvement in the plot, which involved storming Parliament, truck-bombings and hostage takings.
"I tried to impart to them (the RCMP) various degrees of involvement. I'm not the investigator. I said what I could say, considering the role I had," Shaikh testified.
Shaikh told court he deliberately imparted a twisted view of extremist Islam to the youngsters as a way to gain the confidence of the group's co-leaders.
He said he "emphasized the militant nature of the jihad" during a lecture he gave at a winter camp in December 2005, where the recruits were taken under the guise of a religious retreat.
Shaikh also taught them how to fire a weapon, saying he didn't think it was illegal to do so given the circumstances.
The youth, who cannot be identified because he was 17 at the time of his offences, was one of 18 people arrested over the summer of 2006 in connection with the terrorist plot.
Three other youths have since had their charges stayed.
Ten adults, none of whom can be named by court order, have yet to stand trial.
Shaikh is expected to be the Crown's main witness in those cases.
