Reporter questioned in Charkaoui's bid to have bail conditions lifted

A Montreal reporter was questioned in Federal Court Monday about his source for a story about accused al-Qaeda sleeper agent Adil Charkaoui that included information from a leaked security document.

The June article by La Presse reporter Joel-Denis Bellavance cited a Canadian Security Intelligence Service document and claimed that Charkaoui had a telephone conversation with another man before Sept. 11, 2001, about hijacking a plane in Montreal and flying it to Europe to strike a target.

In a Montrealcourtroom Monday, Charkaoui's lawyer asked Bellavance to identify his sources for the story. Bellavance didn't respond.

Instead, his lawyer said that revealing the identity of those who spoke to Bellavance wouldresult in sources never feeling protectedif they spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity.

Charkaouihas said nosuch telephone conversation took placeand the confidential CSIS information was deliberately leaked in an attempt to smear him.

He is asking to haverestrictions lifted that were imposed on him under a security certificate.

The Moroccan-born Montrealer spent 21months behind bars on a security certificate before he was granted bail earlier this year when the Supreme Court of Canada declared the certificates, which allowed foreign nationals to be jailed without charge and without beingallowed to see the evidence against them,to be unconstitutional.

Charkaoui is still living under a number of conditions that include a curfew and wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.

His lawyer is asking for the case against him to be thrown out and is trying to learn who leaked the document to the Montreal reporter.

When the hearing continues next month, Charkaoui's lawyerwill argue the leak is an abuse of procedure which has prejudiced the legal process against Charkaoui.

The RCMP and CSIShave saidthey are investigating the leak.