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CANBERRA - Police could ask for even more time to hold a terror suspect being detained in Brisbane in relation to the failed UK bomb plots, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says.
Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef will be held for another two days after police were granted an interim court order last night.
The 27-year-old Gold Coast Hospital registrar has been held without charge for a week under federal counter-terrorism powers since he was arrested at Brisbane international airport late last Monday night.
He is being questioned over the failed attacks in London and Glasgow airport, as well as his connection with an underground network of radical Islamist doctors.
Last night, a Brisbane court allowed police to hold Dr Haneef for another 48 hours, until 6pm (8pm NZT) Thursday, before they must start questioning him.
But Mr Ruddock said police could apply for another extension.
"They sought an extension of time and that doesn't preclude them seeking further extensions of time," the minister told ABC Radio today.
"It depends on whether (police) believe it is necessary as part of their investigation.
"If required they may go back again, but at this stage the judicial officer believes that the appropriate period is a further 48 hours."
Mr Ruddock said police are examining thousands of documents seized in raids across Australia, which include files on Dr Haneef's laptop computer and mobile phone SIM cards left with the alleged UK bombers.
"Something in the order of 120 gigabytes of computer data is being examined -- that's the equivalent of 31,000 single page documents, it's one of the reasons the matter takes so long."
The Attorney-General defended Australia's terror laws, which are different from laws in the UK where terror suspects can be held for up to 28 days.
"In the United Kingdom they are able to detain people for a period of questioning for a longer period of time than is available here," he said.
"The period here is a limited period which has to be extended by a judicial process. It's limited by the reasonableness and the evidence."
Mr Ruddock said he the investigation should be comprehensive.
"We want the investigations to be thoroughly professionally carried out and I would think Dr Haneef would want the same outcome," Mr Ruddock said.
"He would want to be exonerated as a result of the inquiries and he would want them to been seen to have been full and complete."
Dr Haneef's case will return to the Brisbane Magistrate's Court at 10am on Wednesday.
- AAP
