AUSTRALIA
Habib wins case against NSW police
Raul Bassi, Sydney
30 May 2009
Mamdouh Habib, illegally detained in Guantanamo Bay and then cleared of all terror charges has, since returning to Australia in 2005, faced systematic harassment from security agencies and the NSW Police.
After a series of court hearings, the NSW Appeals Court dismissed the police charges against him on May 28.
Three years ago, after an incident at Bankstown McDonald’s, Habib was charged with offensive language. The case came to be known as the “piece of shit” case.
Under pressure from the police, the hearing was moved from Bankstown local court to Ryde, where the magistrate accepted the police version of events and found Habib guilty of every charge raised by the police.
The daily presence of high ranking police officers indicated the importance of the trial for the police.
But in a victory for justice, the NSW Appeals Court rejected the conviction and accused the police of fabricating evidence. It rejected the police application for an adjournment, dismissed the case and asked the police to pay costs.
