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Police probe second break-in
A SECOND break-in at the home of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mamdouh Habib has a "whiff" of intelligence agency involvement about it, his lawyer said today. Mr Habib's lawyer Stephen Hopper said the break-in, the second in five days, had been discovered as he was been dropping two family members at their home in the Sydney suburb of Guildford around 7.30pm (AEDT) last night. "We rang the police straight away," Mr Hopper said. "There were signs of unauthorised entry and there was some damage."

A New South Wales Police spokeswoman said an investigation was under way into a break-in at Guildford, but would not elaborate. Mr Hopper said nothing appeared to have been taken, but he suspected intelligence agency involvement. "Obviously there is concern, but if it's ASIO attempting to intimidate (Habib family) they are not intimidated by that," he said. "There is certainly nothing they are going to find there that could cause my client or his family any problems. What is concerning though is that Australian authorities and American authorities told Mr Habib he was going to be harassed if he is released. There is a whiff of intelligence around what is going on but at this stage we have no evidence who is responsible."

A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Philp Ruddock, said it was a matter for NSW Police. "It's got nothing to do with ASIO," she said tonight. The break-ins come at the same time as Channels 9's 60 Minutes prepares the first interview with the former terrorism suspect, to be aired on Sunday, for which the network paid a reported $200,000. The federal Government will examine the television interview, which is being promoted by Nine as a "story of terrorism and torture", and may seize the payment if it could be proven to be the proceeds of crime.
Posted by: God Save The World 2005-02-11
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=56181