NEWS

Haneef's lawyers release interview transcript

By Natasha Chaku in Melbourne
August 22, 2007

A transcript of Mohammed Haneef's second interview with the Australian police was released by his lawyers on Wednesday, in a bid to clear the Indian doctor's name.

The Australian government had accused Haneef of providing support to a terrorist organisation, but later dropped the charges.

A distant relative of the two main accused in the failed Glasgow bombings, Haneef used to work as a junior doctor at a Queensland Hospital.

Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo said that the Indian doctor now wants to clear his name by releasing the full transcript of the interview, a day after a Brisbane court overturned Immigration Minister Kevin Andrew's decision to revoke his work visa. The Australian government is expected to challenge the court order.

"He wants all the questions raised by the Federal Police and his answers to those questions to be put in the public arena," said Russo.

"(This is) because of the continuous attempts to slander his name by innuendos and the selective releasing of information by the Australian government and Federal Police spokespeople," he added

According to the transcript, Haneef proclaims his innocence and denies any knowledge of the failed Glasgow bombings.

Russo said that after reading the full transcript, it would be clear that there was no basis to allege wrongdoing against Haneef.

Meanwhile, Andrews said that the release of the second police interview does not alter the reasons for his decision to revoke his visa. The minister has been accused of selectively releasing information in the transcript last month to justify his decision.

"The minister based his decision on a range of information that was more than the first transcript or the second transcript," said a spokesperson for the minister.

The Australian Federal Police had opposed the full publication of the second interview's transcript, claiming it could compromise investigations.

Andrews said on Wednesday that the information --  on the basis of which he cancelled Haneef's visa on July 16 --  was broader than the information garnered from any police interviews with the Indian doctor.

Natasha Chaku in Melbourne
Source: PTI
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