MELBOURNE: Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef charged with supporting a terrorist organisation has told Australian Federal Police (AFP) he knew nothing about the failed bombings linked to his second cousins in London and Glasgow.
Haneef has been charged with "recklessly" supporting a terrorist organisation, after providing a mobile phone SIM card to his cousin who was allegedly involved in the failed UK terror plots.
Haneef told AFP Agent Adam Simms, he had never had firearms, explosives or terrorist training and denied he had ever been asked "to take part in jihad or anything that could be considered similar to jihad".
A 142-page transcript of a taped Australian Federal Police interview with Haneef was leaked to The Australian newspaper on Tuesday.
In the interview, Haneef insisted he is a Muslim with moderate views and reveals he feared being "framed" over a mobile phone SIM card he gave to his second cousin.
Haneef, 27, described jihad as a life struggle rather than a violent revolution.
Australian intelligence authorities are investigating a report in the Indian newspaper The Asian Age that alleged Haneef was a senior organiser for the now-banned group the
student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), when he was at medical school.
Haneef has denied the allegation, his solicitor said.
In an interview after his arrest at Brisbane Airport on July 2 for allegedly supporting a terrorist organisation, Haneef said "I'm clear from any of the things. I haven't done
any of the crimes. And I don't want to spoil my name and my profession."
"And I've been a professional until now and I haven't been involved in any kind of extra activities," he said while admitting to obtaining a loan of STG 200-300 ($468-702) in
June 2004 from Glasgow bombing suspect Kafeel Ahmed, for a medical qualifying exam.
"When I asked him (when to) pay him back, he said just give it to any of the poor in India," Haneef said. Haneef also transferred STG 900 ($A2,100) that he said
was intended for his family from England to India using Kafeel in October 2005, News Limited reports.
The AFP suspects Haneef may have known about the terrorist attacks in Britain before they were hatched.
Haneef said that his father-in-law had booked and paid for a one-way ticket to India scheduled for July 2 "because I didn't have any money."
"I asked him to book a ticket for me now and ah, I (was) going to get a ticket...with my money when I come back," he said.
A year earlier he had given his mobile phone SIM card, which had unused credit, to his second cousin Sabeel Ahmed.
Haneef said he mentioned to his father-in-law that Ahmed had been arrested over the foiled terrorism attacks in London and Glasgow.
"So (my father-in-law) he said to me 'Why are you worried about that?' So I just said 'keep calm, if we have not done anything, then just nothing to worry'."
Haneef told the AFP he was told by his father-in-law to call British police and "let them know what's going on."
Haneef said that he made repeated telephone calls to police officer, Tony Webster, in Britain to explain the SIM card issue, but the calls were unanswered.
