Hedley Thomas, the journalist who wrote a series of stories about the Australian government's handling of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef's arrest on suspected terror charges, has won the country's most coveted journalism award.
Thomas, who is associated with The Australian newspaper, won the 'Gold Walkley' award for covering and highlighting the mistakes made by the government in the arrest and treatment of Brisbane-based Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef.
He also won the print news report category award and was a Walkley finalist across the business and social equity categories. He was also recognised in the Non-Fiction Book Award.
According to the ABC radio report, Thomas criticised the Australian Federal Police for pursuing the lawyers who leaked the information that allowed him to write his award-winning articles.
In his acceptance speech, Thomas thanked Haneef's lawyers Peter Russo and Stephen Keim for risking their careers to expose vital facts about the case.
"They went out on a limb, Stephen Keim particularly risked his career and livelihood to help me see the facts in this case and for that he is still being pursued by the AFP who have lodged a formal complaint against him," he said.
"And I believe that every journalist in this room should understand that the AFP and its Commissioner Mick Keelty is still trying to punish Stephen Keim for bringing out the truth," he said.
An AFP spokesman said they stand by their position from earlier this year that attempts by Haneef's defence team to use the media to run its case was unprofessional and inappropriate. The AFP has raised its concern with the Queensland Legal Services Commission.
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