Haneef's lawyer cleared of unprofessional conduct
Melbourne,
Feb
1
:
A
lawyer
for
Indian
doctor
Mohamed
Haneef,
who
was
wrongly
implicated
by
the
Australian
Federal
Police
(AFP),
has
been
cleared
of
charges
that
he
acted
unprofessionally
by
leaking
a
police
transcript
to
the
media.
Barrister Stephen Keim SC has admitted that he had leaked the 142-page transcript to The Australian newspaper in July last year after his client, Dr Haneef, was charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation. A spokeswoman for Keim has said that the Legal Services Commission (LSC) of Australia had decided not to pursue its inquiry.
The commission found Keim had not acted unprofessionally; NEWS.com.au quoted her, as saying.
In the fourth week of January, Dr Haneef had said that he was tired of being referred to as a "former terror suspect", and appealed to the Australian media to stop using the description.
Dr Haneef was arrested on July 2 last year and was later charged with supporting a terrorism organisation after his SIM card was linked to the failed Glasgow Airport bombings in UK last year.
The charges were dropped a fortnight later but then Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews had already cancelled Dr Haneef's work visa, forcing him to return to his home in Bangalore.
The full bench of the Federal Court in December had upheld a judge's earlier decision to reinstate his work visa, clearing the way for Dr Haneef to return to Australia.
Dr Haneef, who worked as a registrar at the Gold Coast Hospital, has returned to India to be with his family, but wants to return to Australia to complete his training.
ANI