A visibly relaxed Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef, who has been absolved of terror charges, on Sunday said he was never a risk to Australia and will have informed authorities had he known his cousins Kafeel and Sabeel Ahmed were plotting attacks in the United Kingdom.
In a reportedly paid interview with the Nine Network, the Indian doctor said he was looking forward to spending time with his wife and baby daughter, who was born days before his arrest at Brisbane airport on July two.
'It is not in my nature to ever support or involve (myself) in such activities at all,' he said, adding that he did not mean to hurt anyone by his words and so could not think of hurting anyone by his activity.
He acknowledged visiting Kafeel Ahmed in 2004 but said they had never lived together.
'Sometimes he used to come to our place and we had family trips throughout UK actually,' he said.
But he had not known Kafeel held radical views and had been startled to learn of his involvement in the bombing plot.
'I couldn't really believe that someone from my family... would do such a thing,' Haneef said, adding that he was scared to be labelled as 'terrorist' after his family member's involvement in terrorist activity.
'If I had known anything, definitely, I would have let the authorities know, let their parents know first -- who are the main sufferers now I suppose,' he said.
Despite his ordeal of four weeks in custody amid a bungled terrorism prosecution, Haneef said he was optimistic to return to Australia one day to pursue his medical career.
'I would, even after I go back to India, I might think about coming back here,' Haneef said in his first media interview, recorded before his departure from Brisbane.
'It is just a matter of my visa to be sorted out,' he said.
On a question why he was now leaving Australia he said, 'I have to live with my family now. I have had enough trauma now,' Haneef said.
He said he was frightened when he was arrested by two investigating officers at the airport on July two.
Haneef said he was asked about all sorts of questions like his personal, financial details also if he had ever been to countries like Pakistan or Saudi Arabia.
'They (investigators) were assuming things... they had bits and pieces of information,' Haneef said when asked about the investigations he had to face.
He maintained that he did send money to clear his personal loans in UK and not to fund any terrorist activity.However, he expressed happiness and relief to be out of jail and said he felt great and was thankful to his God to restore his honour back.
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