Australia on Tuesday said it was comfortable with the way the federal police have handled the investigation into the case of Mohamed Haneef.
MELBOURNE: Australia on Tuesday said it was comfortable with the way the federal police have handled the investigation into the case of Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef.
"I am entirely comfortable (with the investigation) - the federal police are enormously professional," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said and admitted it was
difficult to get the balance right between civil liberties and stopping terrorism.
Downer also dismissed as party politicking Queensland Premier Peter Beattie's likening of the AFP performance to the "Keystone Cops".
He said if a terrorist attack was carried out in Australia, everybody would be asking why the Government did not take more responsible measures.
"If there is a terrorist attack in Australia, then the next big campaign will be why didn't the Federal Government take more responsible measures to make sure such an attack
didn't happen," Downer was qouted on Radio channel on Tuesday.
"We are risk averse in terms of terrorism, we don't want to see terrorist attacks in Australia so we're tough on this issue," he said while rejecting calls for a Senate
inquiry into the handling of the Haneef case from Beattie.
He said if the Queensland premier had concerns about the AFP's investigation, he could ring the Queensland police commissioner.
"It is actually a joint investigation by the federal police and the Queensland police," Downer said. "(Beattie) has gone out and denigrated not the Queensland police, but the federal police for party political reasons and that reflects very badly on him," Downer furhter commented.
"Civil liberty issues are enormously important to all of us but so is stopping people, and this is no reflection on Haneef, so is protecting the Australian community from
terrorists," Downer said. "It is difficult to get that balance right," Downer said.
Meanwhile, Australian government admitted it cancelled Mohamed Haneef's visa for one reason - to keep the terror suspect in Australia.
Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile on Monday revealed the Government's motivation for acting against Haneef after he was granted bail by a Brisbane Magistrates Court.
"It was a decision that (Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews) took to ensure that the individual stayed in Australia," Vaile said, according to 'The Australian' report
today.
Meanwhile, Haneef's legal team is challenging Andrews' actions in the Federal Court, alleging that the cancellation of its client's visa and his detention under immigration laws
was improper.
Solicitor Peter Russo said an affidavit in support of the legal team's application had been filed in court late yesterday and the document would form the platform for further
submissions in the matter, which is to be heard on August 8.
Responding to a series of questions put by the Herald Sun newspaper, an AFP spokesman said the agency continued to work closely with Britain's counter-terrorism command. "UK authorities have supported the conduct and methodology employed during this investigation," he said.
While the AFP spokesman refused to confirm whether a Scotland Yard investigator was still in Brisbane, he said an AFP officer was still in India liaising with Indian
authorities.
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