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Fury at terror suspect's bail (Ellen Connolly, Les Kennedy and Cynthia Banham, June 3, 2004, Sydney Morning Herald)

A former Qantas baggage handler at Sydney Airport charged with a terrorist offence has been granted bail even though police allege that he helped another suspected terrorist, Saleh Jamal, to jump bail and flee to Lebanon.

The decision yesterday to free Bilal Khazal, 34, who last night was still trying to meet the $10,000 bail, angered the Federal Government, which immediately began planning laws for a presumption against bail in terrorism cases.

Sydney's Central Local Court was told for the first time yesterday of the connection between Jamal, accused of links with al-Qaeda, and Khazal, who has been under investigation by ASIO for the past 10 years.

Federal police alleged that Khazal gave Jamal money in March to enable him to flee Australia while on bail for the drive-by shooting at Lakemba police station in 1998.

The court also heard that Khazal - convicted in absentia in Beirut for terrorist offences - had links to a person suspected of compiling false passports, and "extensive overseas contacts".