Toronto rapper released on bail is now wanted for murder
Police say Hassan Ali, known as Top5, removed his tracker and vanished
When a Toronto judge released Hassan Ali on bail earlier this year, over the objections of prosecutors, he did it on the condition the rapper known as Top5 wear a GPS electronic ankle bracelet to ensure he complied with the court’s stay-athome order.
On Thursday, Toronto police issued a press release saying Ali’s original charge of accessory after the fact to murder had been upgraded to first-degree murder, but that he was nowhere to be found. A police source told the Star Ali removed his ankle bracelet and fled. His lawyer, Kim Schofield, has not returned requests for comment.
The decision to release Ali met with a mixed reaction online, where the 23-year-old has a considerable following. Privately, police and others were livid that a person facing such a serious charge who had a history of not complying with court orders — was out.
“Flabbergasted,” Toronto Coun. Mike Colle said Friday after learning of Ali’s release on bail and that he has now, apparently, skipped town. Colle represents the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood where Ali used to live and believes his incendiary live appearances on Instagram led to trouble there.
“The community gets caught in the middle, and feels extremely vulnerable and used by individuals promoting violence,” he said, adding he questions the effectiveness of the electronic monitoring. “As far I’m concerned, it’s a joke.”
The content of Ali’s bail hearing is under a publication ban. So was a subsequent hearing when Superior Court Justice Shaun Nakatsuru clarified one of his bail conditions — banning his use of social media — to allow his manager to post on his behalf. Schofield told the judge the prohibition was hurting Ali’s music career and livelihood. But he was ordered to continue wearing the ankle bracelet. In addition to being wanted for first-degree murder, he faces three counts of failing to comply with a recognizance.
Asked about the efficacy of electronic monitoring, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General said it would be inappropriate to comment “as this matter is before the courts.”
Recovery Science Corp., one of Canada’s largest providers of electronic monitoring services, supplied Ali’s ankle bracelet. On Friday, CEO Peter Marshall wrote in an email to the Star that the company won’t comment on specific cases.
Speaking generally, he wrote that courts make release decisions based on an assessment of the likelihood that a person will flee or commit offences that endanger public safety. “And courts consider the extent to which, if any, electronic monitoring reduces that likelihood through deterrence and early detection of non-compliance, not an expectation that monitoring can prevent a person from fleeing or committing an offence.”