Haneef's SIM found miles away from bombing site

MELBOURNE: Casting fresh doubts over handling of the case involving Indian doctor Mohd Haneef charged with recklessly aiding a terror group, Australian Police has admitted as incorrect the crucial evidence against him that his mobile phone SIM card was found at the scene of the failed UK car bomb plot.

It has not been confirmed the SIM card was found at the scene of the failed Glasgow Airport attack, as prosecutors had alleged during the terror suspect's bail hearing last weekend, federal police sources have told Fairfax newspapers.

The SIM card was found in the possession of one of Haneef's cousins, Sabeel Ahmed, in Liverpool, hundreds of kilometres away from Glasgow bombing site.

Sabeel has been arrested by British police on the charge of witholding crucial information that could have prevented the terror attacks.

Criticism of Australian Federal Police's handling of the Haneef case has come from Peter Faris QC, who has backed the government's new anti-terror laws and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, who has expressed concern.

No official attempt has been made to correct the public record, despite police sources telling Fairfax they had been aware of the error for some time, according to 'The Australian' today.

Asked why Haneef would have provided his SIM card if he knew it was to be used for terrorism, prosecutor Clive Porritt from Office of Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution had told the court it had been intended that the SIM card would be destroyed in the planned explosion when the jeep was rammed into Glasgow airport doors. 

It appears that mistakes had been committed in a departmental briefing that led Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to order cancellation of Haneef's visa and his detention.

Those mistakes are expected to be raised in the Federal Court by Haneef's lawyers on August 8 when they challenge the government's decision on Monday to revoke his visa.

They are the same mistakes that appear in an affidavit that was used in the Brisbane Magistrates Court against Haneef by the Australian Federal Police when he was granted bail.

The app are inconsistent with an official police record of interview made public by Haneef's barrister, Stephen Keim SC.

Part of the minute states that Haneef told the AFP he lived in Britain with Sabeel Ahmed. However, the record of interview said Haneef told police he had moved out of those premises by the time Ahmed had stayed there.

Another part of the document prepared for Andrews, which is marked "highly protected", says "he resided with the UK suspect 5 at 13 Bentley Road, Liverpool, UK, which is a boarding house."

"Even one error of fact could be enough to undermine the government's case," constitutional lawyer George Williams was quoted as saying by 'The Australian' newspaper today.

Queensland Council of Civil Liberties president Michael Cope said "if the minister has, for whatever reason, acted on incorrect information, the decision will be overturned".

Andrews has refused to review his decision to cancel Haneef's visa, saying his decision was based on information not seen by Brisbane magistrate Jacqui Payne, who granted the terror suspect bail.

Haneef's visa was cancelled on Monday after a court granted him bail on the charge of recklessly providing support to a terrorist organization.