Key players in Haneef's case likely to skip public grilling
Australian Police chief and former immigration minister may escape a public grilling at the inquiry into the bungled prosecution of Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef, who was wrongly accused of involvement in a failed terror plot in Britain.
By PTI |
MELBOURNE: Australian Police chief and former immigration minister may escape a public grilling at the inquiry into the bungled prosecution of Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef, who was wrongly accused of involvement in a failed terror plot in Britain.
Before the new Australian government-ordered inquiry has its preliminary opening in Canberra next week, it has been revealed that police chief Mick Keelty and then immigration minister Kevin Andrews are likely to give evidence in interviews to inquiry head John Clarke, rather than at public hearings.
According to 'The Australian' daily today sources have told the newspaper that "it was unlikely that substantive evidence to the inquiry - including that of Mr Keelty and Andrews will be taken in public."
When asked about the prospect of evidence being given in interviews rather than at a public hearing, a spokeswoman for the inquiry said: "That may well be the case, but it is the inquirer's intention to make as much of those proceedings public by way of publishing transcripts and things like that.
"What Clarke has said is that there will be opportunities for public input and for the proceedings of the inquiry to be as public or made public without necessarily being hearings in the manner of a royal commission or in a courtroom."
Such a move will prevent Haneef's lawyers from cross- examining those giving evidence to Clarke about the arrest, prosecution and detention of the Gold Coast doctor.
Haneef, his lawyers and other legal observers have unsuccessfully called on federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland to grant commission-of-inquiry powers to Clarke, to ensure documents were released and witnesses were compelled to give evidence and face cross-examination.
Before the new Australian government-ordered inquiry has its preliminary opening in Canberra next week, it has been revealed that police chief Mick Keelty and then immigration minister Kevin Andrews are likely to give evidence in interviews to inquiry head John Clarke, rather than at public hearings.
According to 'The Australian' daily today sources have told the newspaper that "it was unlikely that substantive evidence to the inquiry - including that of Mr Keelty and Andrews will be taken in public."
When asked about the prospect of evidence being given in interviews rather than at a public hearing, a spokeswoman for the inquiry said: "That may well be the case, but it is the inquirer's intention to make as much of those proceedings public by way of publishing transcripts and things like that.
"What Clarke has said is that there will be opportunities for public input and for the proceedings of the inquiry to be as public or made public without necessarily being hearings in the manner of a royal commission or in a courtroom."
Such a move will prevent Haneef's lawyers from cross- examining those giving evidence to Clarke about the arrest, prosecution and detention of the Gold Coast doctor.
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Haneef, his lawyers and other legal observers have unsuccessfully called on federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland to grant commission-of-inquiry powers to Clarke, to ensure documents were released and witnesses were compelled to give evidence and face cross-examination.
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