SYDNEY, Nov 15: Australia’s spy agency is to be investigated over its interviewing techniques after a bungled case against a Muslim Sydney student collapsed this week, officials said.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has been sharply criticised over the case of Izhar ul-Haque, who was charge with terrorism offences in a case which collapsed on Monday.

In a statement dated Wednesday, ASIO’s official overseer said the inquiry would cover “ASIO’s policy and procedures and general practices on the interviewing of persons of security interest, as they stood in November 2003 and currently”. The inquiry would also specifically look into “actions taken by ASIO in respect of Mr Ul-Haque throughout 2003”, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security said.

Izhar had been accused of receiving weapons and combat training from the Pakistan-based extremist group Lashkar-i-Toiba during a visit to Pakistan in 2003.

The inquiry is to be conducted in private under relevant legislation.

Prosecutors dropped charges against Izhar after the judge ruled police interviews with him inadmissible due to the conduct of ASIO and Australian Federal Police officers, prompting the judge to comment that he had rights whether he was “Muslim or not”.

Civil liberties activists said the case exposed serious problems with the way Australia’s spy agency worked and it needed to ensure its activities remained within the law.

Judge Michael Adams told the Supreme Court of New South Wales state that one ASIO officer had committed “the crime of false imprisonment and kidnap at common law”. Officers were also accused of unjustified and unlawful interference with Izhar’s personal liberty as well as unlawful trespass at his family home.

Civil liberties groups have said changes to laws designed to combat terrorism since the attacks of Sept 11, 2001 in the United States have handed undue power to ASIO.

Australia’s conservative government has been one of the strongest supporters of US President George W. Bush in his war on terror.—AFP