By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : Charges that Muhammad Haneef supported a terror organisation could be dropped as early as Friday, said a prominent Australian lawyer as moves began to review all material in the Indian doctor's case and police was asked to check information used to cancel his visa.
While Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Kevin Andrews asked the police to review the information used to cancel the Indian doctor's 457 work visa, support mounted for Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Damian Bugg's move to personally reassess all material and proceedings in the case.
"This is the end of the case against Dr Haneef. I have no doubt that the reasons 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. I would be fairly confident … that the charges will be dropped probably tomorrow, if not Monday," said Peter Faris, a former chairperson of the National Crime Authority.
Calling Bugg and Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner Mick Keelty to resign, Faris told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): "Both organisations have failed the Australian public very badly. I think heads should roll and I think it's really got to be Keelty … and Bugg. They knew what was going on, they've let it fall into this mess and they are responsible."
Keelty rejected such claims and said he had been in close contact with the DPP since the beginning of the case.
On whether the prosecution case against Haneef would proceed, Keelty told the ABC: "It is up to the DPP."
He also revealed one of the investigators in the case died of natural causes in the investigation room last week.
As speculation mounted about Haneef's release, Minister Andrews told the media: "Certainly, given the events, I've asked the police to assure me that the evidence and the information they gave to me is still correct."
The 27-year-old Gold Coast doctor has been in solitary confinement in Brisbane's high security Wolston Correctional Centre since he was earlier this month charged with supporting a terrorist organisation by "recklessly" giving his mobile phone SIM card to people planning the botched British bombings.
Saying that the review is simply an example of Australia's legal system at work, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock told the ABC: "The fact is Damian Bugg is an independent statutory officer. He makes those decisions and if people are saying they support him carrying out his function, if that's what they're saying, then they're supporting the government."
Welcoming the DPP's review decision, the outspoken Queensland Labour Premier Peter Beattie said he would be receiving a briefing from AFP.
He was quoted as saying: "As a matter of courtesy, I'm happy to talk to the federal police and they obviously want to brief me. I'm happy to do that, but what I sought we've now got and that is an assessment of this."