The Hindu : Front Page : Haneef’s link not trivial: Australia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Haneef’s link not trivial: Australia

P.S. Suryanarayana

Lawyers to appeal revocation of work visa

Link transcends their family relationship
Legal process not pre-empted: Kevin Andrews

SINGAPORE: Australia’s Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews on Tuesday asserted that the link between the Brisbane-based Indian doctor, Mohammed Haneef, and two suspects behind the recent “terror plots” in Britain “is not just some trivial association.” While being “relatively recent,” the link transcended their family relationship.

Mr. Andrews was responding to the blunt questions over his controversial revocation of Dr. Haneef’s work visa soon after Magistrate Jacqui Payne granted him conditional bail.

Dr. Haneef is being brought to trial over charges that he provided support to a terrorist organisation in the run-up to the recent failed plots in London and Glasgow. Committal hearing has been set for August 31.

Support for Haneef

Australian lawyers and civil liberty groups continued to rally behind Dr. Haneef after his bail was nullified by the Minister’s action.

However, Mr. Andrews maintained that he had “not at all pre-empted” the due legal process that gave an accused the presumption of innocence until proved guilty.

Lawyers for Dr. Haneef, who entered a no-guilty plea, indicated that preparations were under way for filing an appeal before a federal court against the executive fiat.

The appeal is expected to be made on Wednesday. Pending this, lawyers did not take steps, such as the payment of surety, to get him released on bail. Dr. Haneef remained in police custody at the Brisbane Watch-House, without being shifted to an Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney under the Minister’s order.

Mr. Andrews, in a series of officially transcribed interviews, said Dr. Haneef’s lawyers would be granted “access to the reasons for my decision,” but not the privileged information that he received from the federal police.

“He could be freed”

Refusing to “speculate” on the likely end-game, Mr. Andrews said Dr. Haneef “could” be freed if some “further information” might so warrant. Asked whether he would have to be finally deported under the present order, Mr. Andrews said the police would first issue a Criminal Justice Certificate. This would permit the accused to stay in detention in Australia without any visa “while the legal proceedings are on foot.”

Thereafter, “unless there is some new information provided [by the police], or there is some change [in Dr. Haneef’s status] as a result of any legal proceedings, he would be deported.”

On whether he would be deported even if found innocent, the Minister said: “I don’t have to make that decision at this stage.”

With the main opposition Labour largely accepting the need to be tough on “terror,” Mr. Andrews maintained that the Government did not act against Dr. Haneef with a political sweep of the arm.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page