AFP slams Haneef's lawyers for releasing interview transcript

MELBOURNE: Australian Federal Police are awaiting legal advice on whether lawyers for Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef acted inappropriately in releasing a transcript of a second police interview with the former terror suspect.

The legal team of Haneef, who faced a terror charge in connection with the foiled UK bombings before being released, on Wednesday released a 378-page transcript of an interview with Brisbane police held on July 13, having already made public the transcript of another police interview last month.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews used selected quotes from the transcript at a July 31 media conference to justify his cancellation of Haneef's visa, a decision quashed by the Federal Court on Tuesday, but which will go to appeal.

Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo on said his client had asked for the interview to be made public to prove he had 'nothing to hide'.

"He wants all of the matters raised with him by federal police and his answers to those questions put into the public arena, because of the continuing attempts being made to slander his name by innuendo and selective release of information by government and federal spokespeople," Russo said, according to a 'Sydney Morning Herald' report.

But the AFP criticised the release of the 'confidential' transcript.

"The continuing attempts by Haneef's defence team to use the media to run their case is both unprofessional and inappropriate and the AFP has raised this aspect with the Queensland Legal Services Commission (QLSC)," it said in a statement.

The QLSC is an independent statutory body that deals with complaints about the conduct of legal professionals.

It can investigate conduct complaints or refer them to the Queensland Law Society or Bar Association of Queensland for investigation.

It can also initiate disciplinary proceedings against legal practitioners before the Legal Practice Committee or, for more serious matters, the Legal Practice Tribunal.

Haneef's barrister Stephen Keim SC, who released the first police transcript, was forced to defend his decision last month following a barrage of criticism, saying the move was not illegal.

At the time, he said he was only responding to 'an aggressive campaign of selective leaking' by authorities.

An AFP statement on Wednesday said suspected leaks to the media by its members had been investigated and no leaks had been found. "The AFP has acted appropriately throughout the investigation," it said.

Haneef is currently in India after a terrorism-related offence against him was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions on July 27.

Meanwhile, a media report on Thursday said mystery surrounds Haneef's attempt to leave Australia with $100 in his bank account, after transferring thousands of dollars overseas to family and friends, including to a person he had never met.

The transcript released on Wednesday threw more questions about Haneef's behaviour just before he tried to leave Australia on a one-way ticket to India on July 2 following the failed UK car bombings, the 'Herald Sun' said.