OTTAWA - Accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says he needs his stringent bail conditions relaxed -- and he promises he can be trusted to behave himself if Ottawa will agree to ease the rules.
But a Federal Court judge is expressing reservations on that point, saying Harkat has not always told the truth.
Justice Simon Noel notes that another judge ruled in 2005 that Harkat had lied on several occasions to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Noel asked Harkat bluntly what reason there is to trust him now if his bail conditions are modified to allow him more freedom.
Harkat replied that, in his past questioning by CSIS, he was scared of the security service and hampered by his imperfect English.
It's a different situation now, he told Noel, insisting that since his release from custody a little more than two years ago he's done his best to earn people's confidence.
