Australian authorities are under pressure to explain a series of embarrassing and highly damaging bungles by the police and prosecutors in the controversial case of detained terror accused Dr Mohamed Haneef.
There has been increasing pressure on Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock and Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty to explain a series of sloppy investigations by the police and prosecutors in the case of the Indian doctor.
Premier of Queensland state Peter Beattie on Friday described the case against the Gold Coast doctor as "sloppy", and demanded explanations from the Howard government in the interest of natural justice, and to restore confidence in anti-terror laws.
"I'm deeply concerned about where we are," Beattie said, adding, "If they have stuffed this up, they should come clean. There are now too many questions and it's just looking sloppy."
"These issues that have been reported in The Australian and on ABC need to be answered. I think most people are starting to think, 'Is this guy just a victim of circumstances with his relatives'. There has to be openness and transparency in this. We do not want this guy to be a political pawn. They have got to prove they acted in the national interest in this," Bettie was quoted as saying by The Australian.
The prosecution case against Indian doctor Haneef suffered another severe blow yesterday when it was revealed that the SIM card he left in Britain was not used in the failed suicide bomb attack on Glasgow airport as had been claimed.
However, the Howard government ministers and Keelty have refused to explain the mistake or offer apologies.
The Australian Federal Police commissioner said the revelations would not damage the case against Haneef.
Keelty hit back at claims by leading legal personalities, including Melbourne barrister Peter Faris QC, that the AFP had been incompetent. He urged lawyers and the media to stop commenting on the case against Haneef.
Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said negotiations between Australia and India on extradition and legal assistance treaties would be intensified in light of the case against Haneef.
The move came after Downer early this week spoke to Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee about the case.
Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said through a spokesperson he will not review his decision to cancel Haneef's visa on character grounds. He said his decision was based on information not seen by the Brisbane magistrate who granted him bail.
However, Andrews did grant a member of Haneef's extended family in India, Imran Siddiqui, a cousin of Haneef's wife Firdous Arshiya, a tourist visa to come to Australia to support the Gold Coast doctor during his court appeals.
Prime Minister John Howard tried to distance his government from the political fallout over the affair, saying any criticism of the case should be directed to the Director of Public Prosecutions rather than the government.
The AFP brief, obtained by The Weekend Australian and given to commonwealth prosecutors, did not state that Haneef's SIM card had been found in the Jeep in Glasgow.
Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo was cautious in responding to the new information.
"Some people are perhaps more careless than what they should be. Whether or not it's the ace in the pack, we don't know," Russo said.
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