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* Haneef freed as case collapses * * He is released into 'residential detention'; prosecution admits its mistake * * * Melbourne: Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef, held by the Australian police on terrorism-related charges since July 2, was released on Friday. The case against him collapsed dramatically in a Brisbane court after the prosecution admitted during a review to having made mistakes. Dr. Haneef, 27, who was working in a hospital in Gold Coast, Queensland, was conditionally freed from custody, and was required to report to the Immigration Department by phone every day and in person every week. However, Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, who had on "character" grounds based on information provided by the federal police last week revoked Dr. Haneef's visa soon after a court gave him bail, said he made a "residential determination." This meant that rather than detention in immigration custody, the doctor would be released into residential detention. He is due to appeal against the decision to revoke his visa on August 8 and could be deported if the appeal fails. Imran Siddiqui, Dr. Haneef's relative who is in Australia to coordinate matters, was quoted as saying that upon his release the doctor greeted him with a big smile. "It's good to be free" the doctor said. The Bangalore-origin doctor was charged with "recklessly" providing support to a terrorist organisation by leaving his cell phone SIM card with his cousin, one of the suspects in the failed London-Glasgow terror plot. "On my view of this matter a mistake has been made...," Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Damian Bugg said. He withdrew the charges because he was satisfied "there was no reasonable prospect of conviction." He described the mistake as "upsetting." "Mistakes are embarrassing. You're embarrassed if you do something wrong," Mr. Bugg told reporters in Canberra. "I'm disappointed that it's happened and I will first thing next week try and obtain a better understanding of how it came about." He said he was disappointed that it happened. Under attack from civil rights groups and political parties, the Australian Government sought to distance itself from the legal fiasco and its fallout. Prime Minister John Howard said Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty and Mr. Bugg were responsible for handling the case. 'No apology to doctor' Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said it was regrettable that charges were ever laid against Dr. Haneef but he would not apologise to the doctor. "I certainly regret that in the course of this investigation the DPP formed a particular view and a later point in time reconsidered that view," he said. Mr. Keelty accepted the DPP's decision to drop the case but insisted there was still sufficient reason to support the decision to revoke Dr. Haneef's visa on character grounds. The AFP acted on the advice of the DPP when it charged Dr. Haneef on July 13 and now accepted the decision to withdraw the charge. Asked whether the AFP would apologise, he said: "The matter of apology to Dr. Haneef is not a matter with AFP." He refused to rule out further charges against him, saying the investigation was on with cooperation from British police. Dr. Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo said he was happy but disappointed that the visa was not immediately reinstated. -- PTI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
