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Kevin Andrews’ ‘secret information’ is old news: Haneef’s lawyer

Bangalore: The “secret information” that Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews released on Tuesday of chat room conversations between Mohammad Haneef and his brother is nothing new, Peter Russo, Dr. Haneef’s lawyer told The Hindu. Mr. Andrews has claimed that the conversations provided evidence of Dr. Haneef’s prior knowledge of the botched Glasgow terror plot.

“It has been confirmed to me that an ABC journalist has confirmed from the notes of her bail hearing that Mr. Andrews’ so-called secret information was conveyed to the magistrate at the bail hearing. Therefore, his secret information has been in the public arena for more than two-and-a-half weeks,” he said on Tuesday.

In the chat room conversation, Dr. Haneef’s brother is supposed to have told him to leave the country urgently. Mr. Andrews said that Dr. Haneef had not applied for permission to leave the Gold Coast Hospital until after he received two phone calls in which he was told that there was a problem with his SIM card. “There is nothing in the chat room conversation that is damaging. In fact, he was questioned on this in the second interview with the police, and he answered all the questions,” said Mr. Russo who was present during the questioning.

Asked why the Australian Minister was pulling this information out of the hat so late in the day, Mr. Russo said that it was “a bit distressing…”

“A stupid gaffe” is how a legal source involved with the Dr. Haneef case in Australia described Mr. Andrews’ statement. “For two weeks he says he can’t give the information because it is secret. Then for three days he says he wants to give it, he is trying to give it, he may give us a little bit. And then he releases it and it turns out to be information that the crown prosecutor had weeks ago,” he said. Dr. Haneef’s legal team’s priority now is to get his business visa restored, said Mr. Russo.

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