Canada arrests suspect in killing of Mabhouh

Canada has arrested a man suspected of involvement in the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Dubai, said the emirate's police chief on Tuesday, criticising Ottawa's lack of transparency on the matter.

Canada actually informed Emirati officials of the arrest in June, but requested that they not announce it, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim told Dubai-based Al Arabiya television.

"I am astonished. Why this attempt to cover up on this issue? We must act transparently, reliably and quickly in such cases," said Khalfan.

Speaking to the Al Ittihad daily, Khalfan did not say why Canada had called for secrecy, nor explain why he had not said anything until now, given his objections.

He said he went public after the news was reported in the Canadian media.

Khalfan received the information from the Canadian ambassador, Al Ittihad said, without revealing the name of the suspect.

The suspect arrested "was among the preparatory group which arrived in the country and left it before the crime" was committed, Khalfan was quoted as saying in Al Ittihad.

The daily said the suspect was among a number of people for which international red notices had been issued by Interpol on behalf of the UAE.

Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, a founder of the military wing of the Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip, was found dead in his room in the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel near Dubai airport on January 20.

"We have no doubt that (Israel's spy agency) Mossad is behind the assassination. We are 100 percent sure" of this, Khalfan said in the report.

Twelve British, six Irish, four French, one German and three Australian passports were used by the 26 people believed linked to the murder, according to Dubai Police.

In many cases, the travel documents appeared either to have been faked or obtained illegally. The countries whose passports were used all called in Israeli envoys for talks.

Britain said in March that it was expelling one Israeli diplomat while Australia announced in May that it was throwing out an official from the Israeli embassy.

Israel has said there is no evidence linking it or Mossad to the assassination.

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