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Haneef visa cancelled, waiting transfer to Immigration Detention
THE Federal Government has cancelled the visa of Mohamed Haneef for failing a character test, and will transfer him to the Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney to wait during legal proceedings.Haneef has been charged with supporting terrorism but was granted bail by Brisbane Magistrate Jacqui Payne today. "I am satisfied the (visa) cancellation is in the national interest," Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said. Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo today said he would appeal the decision. "We will start the next battle. If that's the way they want to do it - bring it on,'' he said outside Brisbane Watchhouse. Mr Russo said his client had remained calm when he was told of the new development. "He's very respectful. He listened to what I said. I probably reacted worse than he did,'' he said. "I told him 'We've won a few battles and we will fight the next battle'.'' Mr Russo was scathing of Mr Andrews' claim that Haneef "had or has an association with persons involved in criminal conduct namely terrorism''. "I've been trying to avoid the political debate but maybe it's landed on my doorstep and maybe it's time I took them on,'' Mr Russo said. "He (Mr Andrews) obviously doesn't understand the presumption of innocence for him to make a comment like that when the evidence hasn't been heard in court.'' Mr Russo wasn't aware of the decision to revoke Haneef's visa until informed by journalists outside the Brisbane Watchhouse. He expressed frustration at the lack of communication from authorities. "No one has bothered to tell us anything but that's what they've been doing all along,'' he said. Mr Andrews said the matter of the visa cancellation was unrelated to whether Haneef received a fair trial. He said the responsibilities of Ms Payne, who granted Haneef $10,000 bail, were separate to those of the Federal Government. "The magistrate in Brisbane has a set of responsibilities which she has carried out and I am making no comment whatsoever on the magistrate or any decision made by the magistrate in Queensland. "I have parallel to that a set of responsibilities and that's what I've acted upon." Mr Andrews rejected the suggestion the cancellation of the visa was a face-saving exercise designed to prove the AFP's investigation and detention of Haneef had been justified. "This is simply a matter of me looking at the responsibilities that I have under the migration legislation and then making a decision," he said. Posted by: Oztralian 2007-07-16 |
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