The publication of the transcript of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef's police interview by his lawyers could put related investigations in Australia and the United Kingdom in jeopardy, Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said on Thursday.
Andrews said that he shared the concern of the Australian Federal Police about the release of security-sensitive information.
"The AFP has been very concerned about releasing evidence which could jeopardise their ongoing investigations in the UK," he said.
Haneef's lawyers released a 378-page transcript of their client's second interview with the police, which was conducted in Brisbane on July 13. In the interview, Haneef defended the way he hastily attempted to leave Brisbane on July 2 on a one-way flight to India and denied any knowledge of the terror plot.
Andrews said that he had information, which he could not disclose, that was "at odds with some of the replies that Haneef gave in those transcripts of evidence".
Haneef's lawyers released the transcript a day after Federal Court judge Jeffrey Spender quashed the minister's decision to cancel the 27-year-old doctor's work visa. His lawyer Peter Russo said that the publication was justified, given the way the police and Andrews had selectively released information to the media.
"Look what they (the federal police) do - isn't this a more transparent way to deal with the issue?" asked Russo.
The lawyer dismissed the federal police's move to refer his actions to Queensland's Legal Services Commission for possible disciplinary action as "bully boy tactics".
