the government let me down

Terror suspect's dad loses $150k

July 9, 2004

THE father of a terrorist suspect will lose $150,000 after his son fled the country and skipped bail.

Saleh Jamal, 29, fled Australia using a fake passport in March while on bail for his alleged involvement in the 1998 shooting attack on a Lakemba police station.
He was arrested in May on terrorism charges while trying to flee Lebanon, again using a false passport.

His father Mahmoud Jamal today lost his bid in the New South Wales District Court to keep the $150,000 surety he offered as a guarantee Saleh would comply with his bail conditions.

In his application to the court, Mr Jamal said he should be able to keep the money because it was the job of the Australian authorities to ensure his son did not leave the country.

"I would like to know how my son Saleh left Australia when he's not allowed to approach the airport," he said in the application.

He also said in his application that police should put photographs of criminals around the airport so that they know who is not allowed to leave the country.

"I want… the Government to bring my son back to Australia where he belongs," he said in the affidavit read to the court.

But Judge Greg Hoskings said the 66-year-old did nothing to ensure his son complied with the bail conditions and therefore he would have to forfeit the surety.

"There is no evidence in that affidavit ... that the applicant took any steps to ensure that the accused complied with his relevant bail undertakings," he said.

Outside the court Mr Jamal said he would use the proceeds of the sale of his Hoxton Park farm to pay the surety.

He also said it was the Federal Government's fault and not his own that Saleh fled the country.

"It is not really my fault," he said.

"It's the fault of the Government, the fault of the police, it's the fault of ASIO."

Mr Jamal said he harboured no ill feelings towards his son.

"Not my son let me down, the Government let me down," he said.

AAP


This report appears on NEWS.com.au.