OTTAWA: A former Ottawa X-ray technologist was sentenced to 12 years in prison for conspiring to facilitate terrorism, officials said.

Misbahuddin Ahmed, 30, was convicted in July, but was acquitted of a more serious charge of bomb-making for terrorist purposes.

He was convicted of “conspiring to facilitate a terrorist activity”, Canada’s Public Prosecution office said on Thursday, adding that he had 30 days to appeal the ruling.

Ahmed and two alleged co-conspirators had been arrested in police raids in 2010.

Authorities said Ahmed and his accomplices had plotted to attack a repatriation ceremony at a Canadian military base usually attended by the minister of defence and chief of the defence staff. Police had said the accused were in possession of a horde of material for making improvised explosive devices.

Published in Dawn, October 25th , 2014