SIEVX-NEWS: The Quasi-SIEVX Trial?

[owner-sievx-news]

The Quasi-SIEVX Trial?
by Marg Hutton
8 September 2003

http://sievx.com/archives/2003_09-10/20030908.shtml

What is going on in Cairo with regard to the trial of self-confessed 
people smuggler, Abu Quassey - the alleged head of the syndicate that 
organised the fatal SIEVX voyage? 

Today's report in the Australian provides more questions than 
answers. 

Is this trial a genunine attempt to bring the infamous smuggler to 
account over his part in the deaths by drowning of 353 asylum seekers 
or is it more smoke and mirrors? 

>From the report in the Australian it sounds as if Australia has been 
kept (or kept) well out of the loop with Cairo in this matter. A 
spokesperson for Justice and Customs Minister Chris Ellison is quoted 
as saying 'the Egyptian ambassador in Canberra would be told 
Australian Federal Police could provide a brief of evidence and 
witness statements gathered from the 45 survivors'. 

Given that the trial has already commenced (according to yesterday's 
report on the ABC website) why hasn't our government already provided 
Egypt with this information? 

It sounds as if Australia has not progressed its involvement in the 
case any further since last May when Ellison and the Australian 
Federal Police (AFP) appeared at Senate Estimates. Back then we were 
told by Ms Robyn Frost, Director of the International Crime Branch in 
the Attorney General's Department that the Australian embassy in 
Cairo had been 'in quite close contact with the Egyptian authorities' 
regarding the possible extradition and prosecution of Quassey, but at 
that point had 'not received any information' (see Hansard extract). 

Close contact indeed! And what has changed since then? According to 
Ellison's spokesperson quoted in today's Australian, nothing at all. 
When asked about Australia's offer to help prosecute Quassey, he 
said: 'So far, we have not had a response to this offer, so this week 
we will be renewing the offer of assistance and will probably be 
speaking to the ambassador'. 

And then there's the issue of witness statements. According to the 
same newspaper article 'the Egyptian ambassador in Canberra would be 
told Australian Federal Police could provide a brief of evidence and 
witness statements gathered from the 45 survivors.' 

This implies that the AFP is offering Egypt a full complement of 
witness statements from survivors, but this seems not to be the case. 


For one thing, one of the 45 survivors who was rescued after the 
sinking was only a babe in arms - young Kauthar Sadiq. So it seems 
highly unlikely that the AFP has been interviewing this young toddler 
for its brief of evidence. 

But more importantly, what about the twenty-three people who 
disembarked from SIEVX prior to the sinking? Surely these people 
would have a lot to say about Abu Quassey and how they came to be 
aboard the vessel. Have the AFP interviewed these people? If so, why 
aren't they supplying their witness statements to Egypt along with 
those taken from the other survivors? 

Is this simply a lack of attention to detail or is it further 
evidence of the AFP and Justice Minister dragging their heels over 
all things connected with SIEVX? 




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