Australia’s Terrorism Hysteria Strikes Again: case against Nizamdeen dismissed amid laughter!

After 4 weeks in solitary confinement in prison, University of New South Wales student, and terrorism suspect Nizamdeen, today had terrorism charges against him dropped by the police.

Mohamed Kamer Nizamdeen, 25, was arrested and charged on August 31 with  collecting or making documents likely to facilitate terrorist acts, after a colleague found a notebook, and gave it to police, allegedly containing details of Mr Nizamdeen’s plans to kill then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and  Deputy PM Julie Bishop.

Despite intense questioning by police, interviews with colleagues, and thorough searches of his home, work, and all electronic devices, the only ‘evidence’ against Nizamdeen were the alleged handwritten notebook entries.

As that notebook is your sole evidence, a reasonable person would ask: is the notebook the property of Nizamdeen? Is the handwriting that of Nizamdeen?

Apparently it is NOT Nizamdeen’s handwriting!

Prosecutor Christina Choi told the Central Local Court in Sydney: “Without a conclusive expert opinion suggesting the defendant was the relevant author, evidence for the charge has been significantly weakened.”

No, evidence for the charge is now non-existent! The notebook was the only ‘evidence’.

Today the terrorism charges were withdrawn and dismissed during a mention at Sydney’s Central Local Court.  Mr Nizamdeen is now believed to be considering civil action against the police. He of course has a case. The taxpayer will surely have to pay a few hundred thousand dollars. Again. Always for the poor decisions and incompetence of others.

Police now acknowledge it is “likely” Mr Nizamdeen is not the author of the notebook, but refuse to apologize for the arrest. The refusal by police to apologize for what is clearly a bungle undermines confidence and trust. Here’s the rub: what if the police realize that–the potential loss of public confidence and trust– but don’t care,  ‘you can all go and get fucked, we’ll do what we want and forget any apology’! That’d be unaccountable police then. What’s the remedy? After all,  the attack on individual freedom and rights, based in terrorism hysteria, was begun (and is perpetuated) by the politicians. No remedy then.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing, the head of the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command, said counter-terror investigators acted in good faith on the evidence that was available to them.

But no, terrorism hysteria does not excuse or justify incompetent and inept police action. The taxpayer will again  foot the bill for the laughably incompetent Keystone Cops.

{When asked if he came across written on a toilet wall, “I so-and-so of such-and-such address, am a member of Isis and will kill the PM”, Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing would not rule out arresting that person on suspicion of terrorist activity, and that any arrest would be in good faith!

A bit of bad luck then if it’s your name in the toilet wall graffiti!}