Twitter
Advertisement

Oz refuses to apologise to Haneef

Australia’s government refused to apologise to an Indian doctor wrongly charged over a British terrorist plot, as his lawyers said they would seek substantial compensation.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin
SYDNEY: Australia’s government and opposition Wednesday refused to apologise to an Indian doctor wrongly charged over a British terrorist plot, as his lawyers said they would seek substantial compensation. Dr Mohamed Haneef has demanded an apology for being mistakenly arrested, detained and charged over a failed July 2007 plot to detonate bombs in London and Glasgow, while his lawyers say he will seek compensation for his ordeal.

An official report released Tuesday found that Australian authorities wrongfully arrested and held Haneef, now living in the Middle East, as they ignored evidence and botched the high-profile investigation. But Attorney-General Robert McClelland said it was up to the previous Australian government to apologise, while his predecessor said Haneef should not be entitled to an apology or compensation for his ordeal.

“I don’t apologise for seeking to ensure that the law works as intended,” former attorney-general Philip Ruddock, who was in charge of the justice department when Haneef was arrested in July last year, said. “My view is that one should not apologise for seeking to ensure that matters that tragically occur that involve terrorist acts are thoroughly investigated to see whether or not there are any implications for Australia,” he said. “I have seen nothing in the report which suggests that the conduct that I undertook should have been conducted in any other way,” he said a day after retired judge John Clark issued his damning report on the Haneef case.

Haneef’s working visa was also revoked and he was unceremoniously kicked out of Australia even after the flawed case against him finally collapsed two weeks after it was launched in a blaze of publicity.
Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement