The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Say it is over, Haneef counsel urges police

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 03, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Say it is over, Haneef counsel urges police

Staff Correspondent

BANGALORE: The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have been urged to declare publicly that they have completed their investigation and do not intend taking any further action against Bangalore medico Mohammed Haneef, who was arrested in that country on terror charges and later released.

In a communiqué on Wednesday, his lawyer Peter Russo said the AFP had more than six months to complete the investigations. This was more than enough. “Especially since the AFP claimed in July [last] that they were devoting many officers and a lot of resources to the investigation. If it took this long to complete an investigation where it was clear to the Director of Public Prosecutions that no charges were warranted, what will happen to Australia if the same force has to investigate a real threat?”

Drawing attention to the conclusion of the then Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions Damien Bugg on July 27 last, Mr. Russo said Mr. Bugg concluded that there was no basis to bring criminal charges against Dr. Haneef. Mr. Bugg said his conclusion took into account evidence that might come up from ongoing investigations.

The police still refused to admit that their inquiries produced nothing incriminatory against Dr. Haneef. “This conduct on the part of the AFP strongly contrasted with their treatment of three Queensland Federal Members of Parliament who were ‘cleared’ by the AFP prior to the election,” Mr. Russo said.

By continuing to claim that Dr. Haneef was “under investigation,” the police were exacerbating the damage he had suffered already suffered, Mr. Russo said. The medico’s nightmare began when he was arrested in connection with the aborted bomb attack on the Glasgow airport.

It was unfair on the part of the AFP to put Dr. Haneef under a cloud as he and his family were making arrangements for their return to Australia, Mr. Russo said.

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