OTTAWA – The defence lawyer for Momin Khawaja says the Ottawa software developer may have wanted to fight for the Islamic cause in Afghanistan, but never intended to bomb civilians in Britain.
Lawrence Greenspon acknowledged Tuesday there is ample evidence that Khawaja took weapons training with the intent of becoming a front-line jihad soldier in Afghanistan.
But he insisted his client never knew that some of his co-conspirators wanted to use the technology he developed to bomb targets in and around London.
Greenspon made the arguments as part of an effort to persuade Justice Douglas Rutherford to quash the terrorism charges against his client.
Khawaja faces seven charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act, including a key allegation that he built a remote-control device, dubbed the Hi-Fi Digimonster, for detonating explosives.
He's also accused of financing and facilitating terrorism, participating in terrorist training and meetings, and making a house owned by his family in Pakistan available for terrorist use.
Five alleged co-conspirators were convicted last year in Britain of plotting to bomb targets that included a nightclub, shopping centre and gas and electrical facilities. Khawaja has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being tried by Rutherford in Ontario Superior Court without a jury.
