AFP may make submissions public on Haneef inquiry

8220;My understanding is that they are trying to comply with Clarke8217;s request,8221; the spokeswoman said adding 8220;They have said they are working on it but I have no idea on timing or anything like that.8221;

AFP on Tuesday declined to clarify apparently contradictory remarks made by Commissioner Mick Keelty on Monday.

Keelty had said ASIO 8211; which repeatedly advised that Haneef was not a threat 8211; was not in possession of the same material as the AFP when it made its assessment. Moments later, Keelty said ASIO had 8220;full access to the material the AFP has8221;.

Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and AFP are the only two agencies to refuse a request from Clarke to provide a non-secret version of their submissions.

The federal police had originally supplied a censored version to retired judge John Clarke, who is heading the inquiry.

The AFP had received severe flak over its handling of the case as Haneef, 28, was kept in detention for three weeks following his arrest at Brisbane airport on July 2 last year in connection with the failed London bombing, only to be absolved later.

Keelty said on Monday the AFP wanted to release its submission but the sticking point was the UK material. He said authority to publish it rested with the British police.

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police told The Australian, British authorities were concerned that the material could compromise the trial of two men accused of involvement in the British attacks, scheduled to begin on October 2.

8220;We would not want to do anything, including authorising the publication of any documents, which could potentially compromise the integrity of those proceedings,8221; she said.

When asked if he would release all of the British material once the prosecutions had concluded, a spokesman for the Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the decision would depend on the nature of the national security information involved, the state of ongoing investigations and the attitude of the London police.

8220;It is also likely that some of the information that is currently protected will be disclosed during the course of the British prosecutions,8221; he said.

McClelland had requested Clarke provide a public report when he concluded his inquiry, supplemented if necessary by a secret one.

But one of Haneef8217;s lawyers, Rod Hodgson, dismissed the UK justification as a pretext, saying there was nothing preventing the AFP from responding to information already on the public record.

8220;You can8217;t hide behind this smokescreen of the secret British information. Imagine if the boot was on the other foot,8221; Hodgson said.

AFP counter-terrorism manager Ramzi Jabbour will return for a second day of evidence on Wednesday along with a senior official from the Attorney-General8217;s Department.