Inconsistencies surface in Oz police affidavit on Haneef

Gaping inconsistencies have surfaced in the affidavit filed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in a Brisbane court in connection with Indian-born doctor Mohammed Haneef, suspected of involvement in the June 29 and 30 foiled bomb attacks in the UK.

Sydney, July 20 : Gaping inconsistencies have surfaced in the affidavit filed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in a Brisbane court in connection with Indian-born doctor Mohammed Haneef, suspected of involvement in the June 29 and 30 foiled bomb attacks in the UK.

According to The Australian, the inconsistencies pertain to Haneef's association with his cousins Sabeel Ahmed and Kafeel Ahmed, and his plan to visit India.

The police affidavit mentions Dr. Haneef as admitting to residing with his cousins Sabeel and Kafeel at 13, Bentley Road, Liverpool in the UK during the July 2 and July 3 interview to the AFP.

However, in the recorded interview, in the possession of The Australian, Dr Haneef tells the police that he lived at 13, Bentley Road, Liverpool, with several doctors, whom he names, but does not include the names of his two cousins, the prime suspects.

In the interview, Haneef also tells police that he visited Cambridge on two occasions in 2004 and stayed there for six days with Kafeel Ahmed, and that he moved out of the 13 Bentley Road when Dr Sabeel Ahmed arrived to stay there.

"I don't know exactly how long did he live there for, because I wasn't staying there then," the daily quotes Haneef, as saying to the police.

But the subsequent police affidavit mentions: "Dr Haneef advised the AFP that he resided with Dr Sabeel Ahmed at a boarding house located at 13 Bentley Road, Liverpool, UK ."

An inconsistency has also been found in Haneef's plan to visit Bangalore in India to see his first-born child.

While the affidavit says that Haneef, 27, a Gold Coast Hospital registrar "had no explanation as to why he did not have a return ticket" from India to Australia, his recorded interview reveals otherwise.

In the interview to the police, Haneef explains that he did not have enough funds in his Australian bank account to return to Australia, and adds that his father-in-law had booked and paid for the one-way ticket with an understanding that "when I go there, we can arrange for the coming back ticket. Because I just got seven days' leave approved".

Haneef, was trying to board a flight for Bangalore from Brisbane on July 2, six days after his wife gave birth to their daughter on June 26, when the AFP took him into custody.

AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty has condemned the leaking of the interview by Haneef's lawyer, and has defended charging Haneef with the criminal offence of "supporting a terrorist organisation" by recklessly giving his mobile phone SIM card to his cousin Sabeel Ahmed. He was unavailable for comment on the reported inconsistencies in the affidavit.

However, the affidavit raises further questions about the handling of Haneef's case and the accuracy of other analysis by the AFP of the evidence in this case.

Haneef's alleged links with his second cousins were cited as a key factor by the AFP in their case.

ANI