"In his wide-ranging, final submission Monday, LeFrancois attempted to show that Diab, a Lebanese-born Canadian citizen, is the terrorist who helped kill four people in Paris more than 30 years ago.
Key handwriting analysis provided by French authorities is sufficient grounds to extradite Diab to Paris, said LeFrancois, but other circumstantial evidence connecting Diab to the crime is also plentiful.
The French allege that Diab used a false Cypriot passport under the name of Alexander Panadriyu to enter France and under that name, bought a motorcycle used in the bombing and checked into a hotel where he had sex with a Paris prostitute.
The prostitute gave police a detailed description of Panadriyu, including the fact he is circumcised and smoked Marlboro cigarettes."
REPORTER CHRIS COBB: THE OTTAWA CITIZEN;
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"OTTAWA — Former University of Ottawa professor Hassan Diab belonged to an international anti-Semitic terrorist organization embroiled in a violent underworld of lies and deception, a federal Crown prosecutor alleged Monday," the Ottawa Citizen story by reporter Chris Cobb published earlier today begins, under the heading, "Prosecutor wraps up case to extradite Ottawa professor accused of bombing Paris synagogue."
"Diab was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), said Claude LeFrancois, and while evidence linking him to PFLP violence is circumstantial, the group “had a clear interest in bombing a synagogue,” added LeFrancois," the story continues.
"Diab, 57, is wanted by French authorities for his alleged role in the bombing outside Copernic Synagogue in October 1980. The blast killed four, injured more than 40 and caused massive damage to surrounding buildings.
Diab says he is the innocent victim of mistaken identity and denies any involvement.
Nor is there firm evidence that the PFLP was involved.
The Diab extradition process has lasted more than two years. It is scheduled to end Wednesday but will likely be appealed no matter which side wins.
An extradition hearing determines whether a Canadian wanted by a foreign country should be handed over for trial in that country. Evidence offered by the requesting nation must, under Canadian extradition law, be presumed reliable.
In his wide-ranging, final submission Monday, LeFrancois attempted to show that Diab, a Lebanese-born Canadian citizen, is the terrorist who helped kill four people in Paris more than 30 years ago.
Key handwriting analysis provided by French authorities is sufficient grounds to extradite Diab to Paris, said LeFrancois, but other circumstantial evidence connecting Diab to the crime is also plentiful.
The French allege that Diab used a false Cypriot passport under the name of Alexander Panadriyu to enter France and under that name, bought a motorcycle used in the bombing and checked into a hotel where he had sex with a Paris prostitute.
The prostitute gave police a detailed description of Panadriyu, including the fact he is circumcised and smoked Marlboro cigarettes.
Ten Marlboro butts were found in the ashtray of a getaway car rented by the terrorists and found abandoned in a public parking garage several days after the Copernic bombing.
The prostitute also told police that Panadriyu had paid her with a $100 bill for her services – a fact LeFrancois said is significant because Panadriyu had also paid for the Suzuki motorcycle with 10 $100 bills.
The bomb was strapped to the motorcycle and detonated remotely.
LeFrancois covered the waterfront of the evidence against Diab, focusing on the crime which he described as “a terrorist act motivated by anti-Semitism and anti-Israel animus” and the fact that a dozen people with whom Panadriyu had come into contact in Paris offered descriptions that fitted Diab’s general appearance.
They described Panadriyu as between 5 feet 5 and 5 feet 7 (165-170 centimetres) and of slim build.
LeFrancois did admit there was confusion of the colour of Panadriyu’s hair, which was variously described by witnesses as black and blond – or dark with blond touches.
The prostitute told police his hair was black, a description in conflict with others and one that led the prosecutor to suggest that hair dye might have been involved.
“They made love in the dark,” said LeFrancois. “Things are going to look a lot darker in the dark. (She) saw him in a different light.”
It was unlikely, responded Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger, that the entire transaction took place in the dark.
“She would have had to have the light on when he paid her.”
There was no conclusive evidence that Diab was in Paris on the day of the bombing, said LeFrancois, but stamps in his real passport show he arrived in Spain two days before and left four days after.
“It fits the events in Paris perfectly,” said LeFrancois, who alleges that Diab switched from his real identity to that of the fictional Cypriot and handed his real Lebanese passport to an accomplice.
Defence lawyer Donald Bayne begins his final submission today."
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The story can be found at:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Prosecutor+wraps+case+extradite+Ottawa+professor+accused+bombing+Paris+synagogue/4397406/story.html
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be accessed at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
For a breakdown of some of the cases, issues and controversies this Blog is currently following, please turn to:
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=120008354894645705&postID=8369513443994476774
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;
