I had no power, alleges Haneef probe panel head

MELBOURNE: The chief of an Australian probe panel, which is looking into the Mohammed Haneef case, today alleged that he was not given enough powers to probe any "political conspiracy" behind the bungled case.
John Clarke, the former NSW supreme court judge, also criticised the security agencies for showing lack of cooperation in the investigation.
Indian origin doctor Haneef was arrested in Australia on suspicion of terror-related activities in 2007. His long detention without charge had caused major controversy in Australia and India.
According to 'The Age' daily, Clarke said he should have been able to compel former politicians such as John Howard and Philip Ruddock to give evidence.
He said the inquiry into the bungled case "had no power at all" and was unable to force agencies to produce evidence or to demand the appearance of former ministers.
Such powers would have enabled the inquiry to reach a firm finding on whether there was a political "conspiracy" in which the former immigration minister Kevin Andrews came under political pressure to take action against Haneef.
"I had no power at all," he told the Commonwealth Ombudsman's conference in Canberra last night.
"I think I got there in the end - in other words, I got the right results - in all but one area. That was the political area," he said adding Howard declined to appear, and Ruddock "came and said he simply had to go after an hour and a half".