Australia’s Attorney-General Philip Ruddock on Monday dubbed the failed terrorism case against Dr Mohammad Haneef as a “circus” played out in the media.
Mr Ruddock criticised the media coverage of the investigation and the case which was plagued by leaks and counter-leaks from police and Haneef’s legal team. “Any case that is handled essentially through the media is one which is poorly dealt with, because you can never canvas all of the material in the objective way that you would with both parties being able to test it as they do in a court,” Mr Ruddock told a TV channel.
“Running the issues daily through the media where you pick up aspects of it which can never adequately be replied to, of course, makes a circus of it,” he said.
The Attorney-General refused to criticise Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews for saying Haneef’s rapid departure from Australia after his release from custody heightened suspicions about him.
“People draw different inferences from all of the circumstances that surround particular acts and the minister’s drawn a particular inference,” Mr Ruddock said. “I’m not in a position to comment on that,” he said.