AN Australian national jailed in Lebanon for terrorist activities will be interviewed over a shooting attack on a Sydney police station upon his release, New South Wales Premier Bob Carr said today. Saleh Jamal is wanted by NSW Police after fleeing Australia using a fake passport in March last year while on bail for alleged involvement in the 1998 shooting attack on Lakemba police station. A military court in Beirut today sentenced Jamal, a Jordanian-born Australian, to five years jail on charges of possession of weapons and explosives, forging an Australian passport, forming a group and planning acts that endangered state security. He will serve his time in a prison with hard labour.| Oh bloody good! |
Australian Federal Police will also interview Jamal over alleged immigration offences. A Department of Foreign Aaffair and Trade spokeswoman said the department had taken a close and active interest in Jamal's case. "The Lebanese military court found Mr Jamal guilty of terror-related charges and sentenced him to five years imprisonment with hard labour," she said. "We have undertaken consular visits to ensure his welfare (and) access to legal counsel." Jamal fled Australia using a fake passport in March last year, while on bail for his alleged involvement in the 1998 shooting attack on the Lakemba police station in southwestern Sydney. He was arrested in May on terrorism charges while trying to flee Lebanon, again using a false passport. Jamal was found guilty of "creating an illegal association, together with two Lebanese men, in order to carry out activities harming state security", one source said.