Australia refuses to divulge info on Haneef

Australia has refused to make public parts of a 'potentially explosive diplomatic cable' from its mission in New Delhi believed to detail India's concerns on the detention of Mohd Haneef.

Australia has refused to make public parts of a “potentially explosive diplomatic cable” from its mission in New Delhi believed to detail India’s concerns on the detention of Mohd Haneef,wrongly accused of having links with the failed UK terror plot.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s department is refusing to release parts of the document,believed to detail the Indian government’s concerns over the detention of the Indian doctor because of fears it will damage Australia’s international relations,’The Australian’ reported on Tuesday.

The cable in question was sent from Australia’s high commission in New Delhi on July 17,2007,the day after then immigration minister Kevin Andrews revoked Dr Haneef’s working visa and ordered his continued detention,it said.

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The day the cable was sent,the Indian government reportedly summoned the Australian High Commissioner in New Delhi and insisted Haneef be treated fairly.

Reams of documents have been released,but Haneef’s team has hit a snag with a request to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet over several extracts of the document.

“The department refused to release the cable in its entirety,arguing that certain paragraphs would damage Australia’s international relations and that others contained information communicated in confidence by or on behalf of a foreign government,” the report said,adding that Haneef may use the information garnered to seek compensation.

Haneef was working at a Gold Coast hospital when he was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the bombings of the Glasgow airport. Later,he was exonerated of the charges.

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The report said the “cable also contains some commentary from the high commission.”

Haneef’s lawyers took the matter to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal,which ruled in October that more — but not all — of the cable should be released to Dr Haneef.

“I am at a loss to understand how the material in the first entry or the second entry could damage Australia’s international relations,” the written decision of AAT senior member Bernard McCabe says. “The material is,for the most part,platitudinous.”

He also ruled that some of the information that the government had argued was communicated in confidence should be released. But the department has taken the matter to the Federal Court,where it has applied for a review of the AAT’s decision.