Dismay In Britain As Barrister Owns Up
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday July 19, 2007
SCOTLAND YARD has reacted angrily to the news that one of its investigators in the London and Glasgow bombings has been named in the Australian media.
The mobile phone number of Tony Webster, believed to work with Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit, was also published in the leaked transcript of a police interview with Mohamed Haneef, the Gold Coast doctor charged in relation to the case.In the interview with Australian Federal Police officers, Haneef said he had tried unsuccessfully to phone Mr Webster four times on July 2 to clarify his position, after being told by the mother of two brothers charged in Britain over the attacks that Mr Webster was trying to contact him.Calls by the Herald to Mr Webster's British phone were not connected. A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police appeared to be unaware of the publication of the investigator's name, and reacted with surprise at the actions of Haneef's barrister, Stephen Keim, who admitted yesterday to leaking the transcript. "You'd be put in prison over here. It blows everything apart. [Haneef] can't have a fair trial. He needs nicking, that solicitor," she said."It's unlikely for the safety of that officer that we would confirm [his identity], and you should be careful how you print it. But you don't have to be a rocket scientist to think that [Webster works for Scotland Yard]."The spokeswoman said she was not prepared to discuss the evidence in the terrorism inquiry. "Under English law we're not prepared to discuss any links between our investigation and the man you've identified in Australia," she said.She confirmed that one person, named in British media reports as Dr Mohammed Asha, remained in custody after the police received an extension to continue detaining him until Saturday. The man has not been charged, and is believed to be held at London's high-security Paddington Green police station.
© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald
