Terrorism Charges against Haneef Dropped, Release Imminent?
AFP
Melbourne, Jul 27: Australia's prosecution chief on Friday dropped terrorism charges against Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef following a review of the case, more than three weeks after he was arrested in connection with last month's failed car bombings in London and Glasgow.
Haneef with wife Firdous: Happy days will be here again soon, Inshallah...
Twentyseven-year-old Haneef, who was arrested on July 2 in Brisbane, was charged with 'recklessly' supporting a terrorist group.
Prosecutors withdrew the case against the Indian doctor at a Brisbane Magistrates' court hearing.
The case was reviewed by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Damian Bugg, who said the charges have been dropped because a 'mistake' was made in the case.
"On my view of this matter a mistake has been made and I will examine that because to me the primary decision to make was to determine whether or not this prosecution was on sound footing or not, I've made that determination," he said.
"I'll now take further steps to inquire as to how that mistake occurred," he was quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
On Thursday, the former chairman of the National Crime Authority Peter Faris had said the DPP's decision to review the case suggested that the case was about to collapse.
"This is the end of the case against Mr Haneef," he said. "I have no doubt that the reason that Bugg has intervened is to find a way out of the impasse that the DPP finds itself in, which is, to put it bluntly, they have no case."
It is unclear what will now happen regarding the cancellation of Haneef's work visa, but his cousin Imran Siddiqui, who is in Australia to provide him moral support, says the family will fight to clear his name completely.
'Charges dropped, so why isn't Haneef free'
IANS
Sydney: Muhammad Haneef's cousin, who is in Australia to help him, has questioned the decision to put the Indian doctor under residential detention when all charges have been dropped and said he deserves to be a free man.
Speaking to ABC Radio, Siddiqui said: "The good news is that the charges have been dropped, but the bad news is that the minister has not given his visa back."
As Haneef awaits his freedom, Siddiqui told ABC: "The Australian government is acknowledging that Haneef is not a danger to the community by allowing him to live in the community.
"Why do we have to settle with substitutes (Haneef will be formally in residential detention) when he deserves to be a free man," questioned Siddiqui.
Twenty-five days after Haneef was arrested in connection with the British bomb plot, the Australian government Friday dropped all charges against Haneef, with the police admitting that there were irregularities in evidence and there was no prospect of conviction.
Haneef will, however, stay under detention in his home.
On whether Haneef could go back and live in his Gold Coast apartment, Siddiqui said: "He can't go back to his apartment. We want him to be free to go home to his family. It is testing our patience and Haneef's patience."
Siddiqui was grateful to the Australian community, which had come out in large numbers to support Haneef and he had full faith in the Australian judiciary, which has given the doctor a clean chit.
Earlier, on his arrival in Australia, Siddiqui had said: "We don't (just) believe but we know that Haneef is innocent and I have come to take him home."
Siddiqui wants to take his cousin home, but not with a "black mark on his passport". He earlier told Sky News: "We want his name cleared. We want him to go on his free will rather than be deported."
Send Haneef home on 'regular visa', India tells Australia
IANS
New Delhi: India will request the Australian government to grant Muhammad Haneef a ‘regular visa’ after the Indian doctor was on Friday cleared of all charges of supporting those involved in the failed British bombings.
"The Indian High Commission in Canberra has been instructed to support Haneef to get a visa. The high commission will also approach the Australian government for a regular visa," said Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed.
"We are happy that an Indian citizen has been absolved of charges of supporting terrorism. The government has been extending all possible support to him," Ahamed said.
According to the minister, if Haneef is deported he will be unable to go back to Australia. So he would like to come back home on a regular visa.
Amid concern over Haneef being charged on flimsy grounds, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated that the Australian government should give him all the facilities under the law and the rights he was entitled to.
The 27-year-old Gold Coast registrar's 457 work visa was cancelled after he was charged with ‘recklessly’ providing support to terrorists planning the botched British bombings.
Haneef was arrested on July 2 while flying out to India on a one-way ticket from Brisbane and charged with giving his mobile phone SIM card to people planning the bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.
Since July 18, he has been in solitary confinement in a Brisbane detention centre and his work visa has been cancelled.
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