Montreal man signs peace bond amid terrorist fears

MONTREAL – A second Quebec man authorities fear will commit a terrorism offence has signed off on a peace bond that will severely restrict his movements and have him under tight surveillance for the next year.

Daniel Minta Darko, 26, will have to wear a GPS tracker, hand in his passport and is not allowed to use or own a cellphone.

He is also forbidden from using social media to communicate with anyone in Syria, Turkey and Malaysia or anyone with links to a terrorist group.

Darko is also prohibited from contacting Merouane Ghalmi, who signed a similar peace bond two weeks ago.

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada said last month the federal government has used peace bonds in terrorism-related matters fewer than 10 times.

Ghalmi’s bond was the first terrorism-related bond signed in Quebec but at the time was the second such case to reach a Canadian court in one week.

Two days before, the RCMP announced it had arrested Amir Raisolsadat, a 20-year-old man from Prince Edward Island, and was seeking a peace bond amid allegations police feared he would commit a terrorism offence.

Raisolsadat, a student from the island town of Stratford, was freed on conditions and must return to provincial court April 20.

A component of the Conservatives’ controversial anti-terrorism bill issued introduced earlier this year would make it easier for the RCMP to issue such peace bonds.

The existing law requires a fear that someone “will commit” a terrorism offence before police can obtain a peace bond. However, Bill C-51 would create a new, lower threshold whereby one could be issued if there were reasonable grounds to fear a person “may commit” a terrorism offence.