No basis for charging Haneef with wrongdoing, says lawyer

Indian born doctor Mohamed Haneefs lawyer, Peter Russo, has said that a reading of the full transcript of the police interview of his client makes it clear that there was no basis to the allegation of wrongdoing against the Indian docotor.

Melbourne, Aug 23 : Indian born doctor Mohamed Haneef's lawyer, Peter Russo, has said that a reading of the full transcript of the police interview of his client makes it clear that there was no basis to the allegation of wrongdoing against the Indian docotor.

The transcript shows his client had attempted to contact British Police to explain his position in relation to a SIM card loaned to his cousin Sabeel, who is suspected of having a role in a British terror plot.

The transcript of the police interview of Haneef has disputed the Australian Federal Police (AFP) translation of a computer chatroom discussion that was used by Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to justify his decision to cancel Haneef's visa last month.

The police interview released on Wednesday by Dr Haneef's lawyers, clearly shows that the Haneef disagreed with parts of the translation into English from Urdu, and the police interpretation of the discussion with his brother that occurred on the day he planned to leave Australia.

It makes clear that Dr Haneef had gained permission to take leave from the Gold Coast Hospital, and that a plane ticket had been booked before his brother contacted him.

The transcript also shows clearly that Andrews used highly selective fragments of the police interview to place Dr Haneef in the worst possible light.

Andrews, on July 31, concentrated on a passage where Dr Haneef's younger brother, Shuaib, had advised the doctor to tell his hospital that he was leaving because he had a new daughter and "tell them nothing else".

Dr Haneef, in the interview, says that in fact, his brother was asking him whether he had told the hospital this, and that he had already told the hospital before the discussion with his brother.

Andrews, however, said that the public release of the police interview did not change his reasons for revoking Dr Haneef's visa late last month.

He said his reasons were broader than the material contained in either of the two police interviews.

A Federal Court judge on Tuesday ruled against Andrews' decision to revoke Dr Haneef's visa, declaring he had made a "jurisdictional error".

Justice Jeffrey Spender also criticised Mr Andrews for publicly releasing selective material that had not been placed before the court.

Dr Haneef's lawyers said that they had decided to release the 378-page transcript of the second police interview to counter attempts by the Howard Government and the AFP to "slander Dr Haneef's name by innuendo and selective release" of information.

The Australian Federal Police issued a statement last night saying it had referred possible inappropriate conduct related to the Haneef case by government officials to "appropriate authorities", The Age reported.

ANI