Melbourne: Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said on Thursday he feared that the release of a transcript of Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef's police interview by his lawyers could put terrorism investigations in Australia and the UK in jeopardy.
Andrews said he shared the concern of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) about the release of security-sensitive information.
"The AFP have been very concerned about releasing evidence which could jeopardise their ongoing investigations, ongoing investigations in the UK and indeed the prosecution in the UK," he said.
Haneef's lawyers, who was absolved of terror charges after being arrested over the failed car bombings in the UK, on Wednesday released the 378-page transcript of a second police interview of their client, 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 UK terror plot.
Andrews said he knew of other material, 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 Andrews' decision to cancel the 27-year-old doctor's work visa.
Lawyer Peter Russo said the publication was justified, given the way the police and Andrews had selectively read to the media parts of the interview. "Look what they (the federal police) do - isn't this a more transparent way to deal with the issue?" he was quoted as saying by the media here.
He described federal police's move to refer his actions to Queensland's Legal Services Commission for possible disciplinary action as "bully boy tactics".
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