Melbourne, July 26
The Australian police has been asked to check if the “evidence” that led to the cancellation of Indian doctor Haneef Mohammed's visa in connection with the failed UK car bombings was “still correct”, a minister said today, a day after the top prosecutor's decision to “review” the case.
Meanwhile, an official investigating the case of Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef “dropped dead” at work amid enormous pressure, Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner Mick Keelty today said.
Keelty said the man died of natural causes last week amid intense pressure on the AFP.
“There are enormous pressures here. One of the pressures that I haven't spoken about publicly is that one of the investigators dropped dead in the investigation room on Monday last week. The investigation team has been through a very emotional and stressful time,” he was quoted as saying in the media today.
Australia's immigration minister Kevin Andrews said he based his decision to cancel Haneef's visa on police information and that he has asked them to check that.
“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,” he was quoted by Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as saying.
Attorney general Philip Ruddock said the review into Haneef's case by Commonwealth director of public prosecutions (DPP) Damian Bugg was simply an example of Australia’s legal system at work. He also said the
review, announced by Bugg yesterday, will not undermine the government's handling of the terrorism charge.
Haneef has been charged with recklessly supporting a terrorist organisation and is being held in a Brisbane jail.
A number of inconsistencies have been reported in the case against him.
Federal police commissioner Mick Keelty said he has also been talking to Bugg for a week about how to correct a mistake in the case against Haneef.
He said the prosecutor made a mistake by telling the court that Haneef's SIM card was found in a burning jeep at Glasgow airport when it was actually found in Liverpool.
"We had been discussing during the week about which is the best way to correct that error," commissioner Keelty said.
— PTI
