Australia apologises to Indian doctor, admits mistake
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Dec 23, IRNA -- Australia Thursday apologised to Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef for wrongly detaining him for 12 days on terror charges in 2007.
'The Australian Federal Police acknowledged that it was mistaken and that Dr Haneef was innocent of the offence of which he was suspected,' the Australian government said in a public apology.
'The Commonwealth apologises and hopes that the compensation to be paid to Dr Haneef will mark the end of an unfortunate chapter and allow Dr Haneef to move forward with his life and career,' it said, according to pti.
Haneef, 31, is a cousin of Sabeel Ahmed -- the main accused in the failed attack on the Glasgow International Airport in the UK in 2007.
The Indian doctor, who was working at the Gold Coast Hospital since September 2006, was arrested on July 2, 2007 from the Brisbane airport.
He was charged with recklessly giving support to a terrorist organisation when his mobile phone SIM card, which he had left with his cousin before coming to Australia from the UK, was linked to the attack.
His 12-day detention was the longest without charge in recent Australian history, triggering outrage in India as well as in Australia.
The formal apology came after Haneef agreed on a substantial but undisclosed compensation payout from the government after two days of negotiations.
Before the mediation talks, Haneef's lawyers had said the compensation could be upto one million dollars.
It was also acknowledged that arresting, charging, detaining and eventually cancelling Haneef's visa created 'serious consequences for him and his family' by the government.
The apology, which was released by the Attorney General's Department yesterday, said that the terms of the settlement shall remain secret.
Haneef's lawyer Rod Hodgson has said the apology reaffirmed his client's innocence.
'The apology means a lot to our client.'
He said the financial settlement was 'substantial' and Haneef was 'delighted' with the deal.
In return, Haneef has dropped a civil claim against the government and defamation action against the former immigration minister Kevin Andrews, who had revoked the doctor's visa after he got bail.
Following the settlement of the claim, Haneef who is accompanied in Brisbane by his wife Firdous and three-year-old daughter Haniyah, had said, 'I'm very pleased and happy with the resolution of this matter.'
The doctor, who is now working in the UAE as general practitioner, said he would consider returning to his original job on the Gold Coast.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30139504
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