July 14, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 28, 1428

SYDNEY, July 13: Australian police have failed to uncover any incriminating evidence against an Indian doctor held for nearly 11 days in connection with attempted car bombings in Britain, a report said Friday.

The claim by The Australian newspaper came as a court was due to rule later in the day on whether police can further extend the detention of Mohammed Haneef, arrested as he tried to leave the country on July 2.

Official papers cited by The Australian said while police were still scouring thousands of documents seized in searches, they had yet to find evidence of his involvement in the abortive car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow on June 29 and 30.

But officers suspect Haneef, 27, a cousin of one of the men suspected of crashing a burning car into Glasgow airport, “provided support to the terrorist organisation responsible for terrorist acts in London and/or Glasgow,” one document revealed.Haneef “appears to have had significant contact with people in the UK who appear to have been involved in the terrorist attacks,” the paper said, citing a confidential document.

“If Mr Haneef was released from detention, it would be more difficult for the authorities to effectively monitor his movements and who he communicates with, either in Australia or overseas,” it added.

The paper revealed that for two years Haneef shared a flat in Liverpool with his cousin Kafeel Haneef, an accused suicide bomber in serious condition in a British hospital following the attack on Glasgow airport, and Ahmed's brother Sabeel, who is also being held in London.

But the medic, who arrived in Australia last September, insists he is not a terrorist, and the documents conceded that he “is not very close” to Kafeel Ahmed, one of seven people held in Britain in connection with the plot.

However he left his mobile phone SIM card with cousin Sabeel Ahmed when he left Britain for Australia last year because Ahmed wanted to take advantage of the extra call minutes offered by the card.

But the Australian police believe that information obtained from computers seized in raids last week shows “a further possible line” between Haneef and Iraqi doctor Bilal Adulla, the only suspect charged so far in Britain in connection with the attacks.

The documents also reveal that officers believe Haneef was not “entirely truthful” in what he has told police since he was picked up at Brisbane airport on July 2 as he headed for India, allegedly on a one-way ticket.

Australian police refused to comment on the report, which also said police intend to seek to extend Haneef's detention without charge for a further 72 hours when a magistrate hears the case later Friday.

The Brisbane court on Wednesday effectively gave police another two days to hold Haneef by delaying its decision on whether police could continue to hold the doctor.

Haneef's lawyer Peter Russo and civil rights groups have called for his client to be charged or released and Russo has also reportedly sought to have the magistrate removed from the case.

If the magistrate refuses to extend Haneef's detention order, police will have 12 hours in which to question him, a period that can be interrupted for meal and rest breaks. After that, they must charge, release or deport him.—AFP