Usman Khawaja’s brother questioned over terror diary

THE brother of Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has been questioned by police as part of an ­investigation into a university notebook detailing plans for a terror ­attack.

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THE brother of Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has been questioned by police as part of an ­investigation into a university notebook detailing plans for a terror ­attack.

Police executed a search warrant at the home of Arsalan Khawaja, looking for evidence relating to a notebook found at the University of NSW. Mr Khawaja has not been ­arrested and police have not laid any charges.

Mohamed Kamer Nilar Nizamdeen, who owned the notebook, was wrongly arrested and charged in August with knowingly making a document connected to terrorism.

Mr Nizamdeen, 25, was refused bail and spent four weeks in Goulburn’s Supermax prison before the charge was withdrawn in Central Local Court on Friday.

Now police are trying to confirm who wrote the disturbing material, which mentioned targeting former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and foreign minister Julie Bishop.

Cricketer Usman Khawaja (right) pictured with his brother Arsalan, who has been questioned as part of a terror investigation. Picture: Facebook

It is understood counter-­terrorism police have been told there was bad blood between Mr Nizamdeen, the nephew of Sri Lanka’s sports and local government minister, and another man over a woman.

Police last week executed a search warrant at Arsalan Khawaja’s home in Westmead, in Sydney’s west, looking for material.

The notebook was found in a drawer in Mr Nizamdeen’s desk at UNSW, where he worked in IT after graduating with a commerce degree, and where he was regarded as a model for foreign students. It is also where Mr Khawaja worked, having settled in Australia as a child after his family relocated from Pakistan.

Police have questioned Arsalan Khawaja regarding an investigation into a university notebook detailing plans for a terror ­attack.

Charges against Mohamed Kamer Nilar Nizamdeen were dropped last week. Picture: Damian Shaw

The charge against Mr Nizamdeen was withdrawn after a handwriting expert advised police and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions that the writing in the notebook was probably not his.

Sources suggested police originally received legal advice that there was enough evidence to charge Mr Nizamdeen before ­counter-terrorism officers moved in on August 30.

However that position changed weeks later while the Sri Lankan ­national was in jail, and a handwriting expert found it was unlikely he was the author.

Mr Nizamdeen is now preparing to launch court action to seek legal costs and compensation from NSW Police.

Usman, wife Rachel and Arsalan Khawaja. Picture: Facebook

After the charge was withdrawn on Friday, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said ­investigators acted in good faith on the available evidence.

“The very nature of these types of offences means that sometimes we need to intervene early,” he said.

Asked if Mr Nizamdeen’s life had been ruined, Mr Willing said those involved in the “production and manufacture of these documents” were responsible.

Mr Khawaja is older than his prominent sportsman brother, who lives in Brisbane and was on his way home last night from Abu Dhabi after a drubbing by Pakistan and tearing a meniscus in his knee.

The left-hander, who has no connection to the investigation, is set for surgery in coming days and is in a race to be fit for the Australian summer opener against India in seven weeks.

Usman Khawaja, who has another older brother Nauman, spoke about his close relationship with his siblings, who attended his matches whenever possible.

“I do miss them,” he told the Cricket Network in late 2017. “I don’t get to see them enough.”