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| Down Under |
| Habib Lawyer sacked over tax claims |
| 2005-04-10 |
| MAMDOUH Habib has told friends and supporters he sacked his lawyer of three years, Stephen Hopper, after he discovered he would lose almost half the $140,000 he received for a 60 Minutes interview in income tax. Mr Habib, who was freed in January from the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, expected the payment to have been deemed a windfall gain, meaning it would either not be taxed, or taxed at a lower rate. Adding to his income woes is the fact that Mr Habib was recently denied a claim for a renewed disability support pension. The father of four is understood to be in the process of buying the new townhouse in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Granville that he has lived in since being flown home by the Australian Government. He has been receiving limited financial support from altruists in the Muslim community, and has been welcomed back into influential Islamic circles, which provide him and his family with other forms of assistance. Mr Habib announced last Tuesday that he had left Mr Hopper and was now instructing Sydney criminal lawyer Adam Houda. He has not publicly cited a reason for the sudden split, putting it down to "ongoing disputes". Mr Hopper refused to comment last night about his former client's move, other than to say: "I stand by the advice I have given him. I wish Mamdouh and his wife Maha all the best in the future." He said he would only consider speaking publicly if Mr Habib waived his right to client-lawyer privilege. Mr Hopper had been instructed by Maha Habib since October 2001 and had campaigned vigorously for her husband's return to Australia. He had worked, unpaid, for Mr Habib since the freed terror suspect's return. Mr Hopper had also helped prepare four separate defamation actions against Nationwide News, publishers of The Australian. He said he will this week send to the New South Wales Supreme Court a notification of "ceasing to act" for his former client. Sources within the Nine Network, which aired the Habib interview on 60 Minutes confirmed that Mr Habib had been in contact with program staff to speak of his frustration with his taxable payout. The network would not divulge details of its payment to Mr Habib because of contractual obligations. Mr Habib has kept a low profile since his return. He is yet to answer claims he spent time in Afghanistan with Al Qa'ida operatives in the months before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |
| #2 I'm still refusing to watch channel 9 becuase of that paid interview. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-04-10 10:02:00 PM |
| #1 different 60 minutes - same ethics and anti-americanism, enriching our enemies to hear their lies |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-10 8:57:36 PM |