Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews feared that the release of a police interview transcript of Indian born doctor Mohamed Haneef could put terrorism investigations in Australia and the UK in jeopardy.
Melbourne, Aug 23 : Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews feared that the release of a police interview transcript of Indian born doctor Mohamed Haneef could put terrorism investigations in Australia and the UK in jeopardy.
Andrews said that he shared the concern of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), who had told him that they were gravely concerned about the release of security-sensitive information.
"The AFP have been very concerned about releasing evidence which could jeopardise their ongoing investigations, ongoing investigations in the UK and indeed the prosecution in the UK," Andrews said.
He said that he knew of other material, which he could not disclose, that was "at odds with some of the replies that Dr Haneef gave in those transcripts of evidence".
Earlier, the AFP said that it had referred the matter to the Queensland watchdog because it believed Dr Haneef's defence team was acting in an "unprofessional and inappropriate" way.
Lawyers for Dr Haneef on Wednesday released the 378-page transcript of a second police interview with their client, conducted in Brisbane on July 13.
In the interview, the Gold Coast-based Indian doctor defends the way he hastily attempted to leave Brisbane on July 2, on a one-way flight to India, and denies any knowledge of the UK terror plot.
Dr Haneef's lawyers released the transcript a day after Federal Court judge Justice Jeffrey Spender quashed Mr Andrews' decision to cancel the 27-year-old doctor's work visa on character grounds.
Lawyer Peter Russo said the publication was justified, given the way the police and Andrews had selectively read to the media parts of the interview.
He described a move by the AFP to refer his actions to Queensland's Legal Services Commission for possible disciplinary action as "bully boy tactics".
Dr Haneef is currently in India after the Director of Public Prosecutions on July 28 dropped a terrorism-related offence against him.
ANI