Arsalan Khawaja jailed for framing Sri Lankan colleague as a terrorist

The brother of Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has been jailed for a minimum two-and-a half years after he framed a love rival as a terrorist.

Arsalan Khawaja, 39, claimed to have found notebook entries made by his Sri Lankan colleague at the University of New South Wales which detailed plans to kill soldiers, prominent politicians and attack iconic landmarks.

The court heard he was jealous of Mohamed Nizamdeen’s friendship with a woman they worked with.

Khawaja had expressed “angst” that the two had been in contact while the woman was overseas, when in fact they had not.

Mr Nizamdeen was charged with terrorism offences and sent to the nation’s toughest jail, Goulburn Supermax but was eventually cleared.

Today Judge Robert Weber described that as unforgivable.

“The offender is an intelligent man he must have realised his actions would have led to Mr Nizamdeen’s arrest or deportation,” Judge Weber said.

He accepted his borderline personality disorder played a role and explains why he reasoned in such a “preposterous manner”.

At a sentence hearing, Khawaja apologised to his former friend, and called himself “a coward, who lacked the courage to come forward”.

His brother, Usman Khawaja also gave evidence that Arsalan was a model citizen up until recently.

But the court heard two years earlier he reported another love rival to Border Force for expressing extremist views.

With time served he will be eligible for parole in June next year

Source: 9NEWS

-Agencies