Day defends practice of paying informants

i would say, compensation yes, but $500.000, right off the bat, before judgement has come before the courts?

Day defends practice of paying informants
globeandmail JEFF SALLOT 03/02/07

Ottawa -- Police sometimes must use paid informants to thwart dangerous terrorist plots or other threats to national security, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said yesterday.

An informant received $500,000 and promises of future compensation that could total $4-million in the case of 18 alleged Toronto-area terrorism suspects, sources familiar with the case said yesterday.

Mr. Day said he cannot discuss this case specifically because the accused are still before the courts. But he added, "you are asking someone to literally assume another life and there is a cost to that."