Just when you thought that all the facts and political bastardry surrounding the Dr Mohamed Haneef affair had emerged, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty drops another clanger.Commissioner Keelty confirmed this week that he had personally advised the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions Damian Bugg QC there was insufficient evidence to charge Dr Haneef and that the case against him was "touch and go".
He is quoted as saying: "I was surprised as anybody when the DPP advised that Dr Haneef could be charged, because I didn't think the evidence was strong enough".
But what is totally bewildering about this whole, sorry saga is that Commissioner Keelty didn't pass those same concerns onto the Federal Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, who took pre-emptive strike action to unilaterally cancel Dr Haneef's work visa claiming it was based on secret information provided to him by Mr Keelty.
Commissioner Keelty now has a duty to Dr Haneef and the people of Australia to come clean over this whole issue.
But he has decided to hide behind his spokeswoman Rhiannon McAdie who told the media yesterday that there would be no further explanation or statements by Mr Keelty.
Commissioner Keelty must be deeply embarrassed by this whole affair, especially when we now know that he was telling the DPP one thing and either nothing - or something else - to the Immigration Minister.
If Mr Keelty knows of a political cover-up in this affair, he should speak up.
If Mr Keelty knows that the claim by Mr Andrews about relying on "secret information" from him is untrue, he must set the record straight.
And if Mr Keelty thinks he can hide in the corner and avoid future media scrutiny on this issue, he should realise that he is not a puppet of the Government but the nation's most-senior independent law enforcer, who owes a duty to the people of Australia to come clean for the sake of truth and justice - and, in the end - a "fair go" for Dr Haneef.
