MARK DREYFUS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER OVER AFP ALLEGATIONS
The Morrison Government must immediately explain what action it is taking over the extraordinary and deeply concerning revelations in today’s Nine Newspapers concerning the Australian Federal Police investigation into Ben Roberts-Smith VC.
A former head of the Australian Federal Police, Mick Keelty, has admitted to passing on highly sensitive information to Mr Roberts-Smith after the AFP launched its investigation into the former special forces soldier over allegations of war crimes. Mr Keelty has said that he obtained the sensitive information from his former colleagues at the Australian Federal Police, including from Deputy Commissioner, Neil Gaughan.
As the Nine newspapers report:
Sources with knowledge of events say Mr Keelty’s intervention allowed Mr Roberts-Smith to take precautions against police inquiries at a time when he should not have known he was under scrutiny. The disclosures meant the covert phase of a war crimes inquiry – one the most sensitive probes in AFP history – was blown days after it started.
The Morrison Government has a number of questions to answer, including:
- If action has been taken against the senior AFP officers in relation to the disclosure of sensitive information, what action has been taken?
- Why has the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity apparently ceased its investigation into this matter in light of the information that is now on the public record?
- What action, if any, has been taken to investigate the conduct of Mr Keelty for disclosing confidential information about an ongoing police investigation to Mr Roberts-Smith?
- To what extent was the investigation into Mr Roberts-Smith compromised as a result of the alleged conduct of Mr Gaughan, Mr Jabbour and Mr Keelty?
- At the time the Attorney-General appointed Mr Keelty to advise the Morrison Government on its proposed “Commonwealth Integrity Commission”, was he aware that the disclosure of confidential information to Mr Keelty was the subject of an investigation by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity? If the Attorney-General was aware, why did he decide to appoint Mr Keelty to that role?
- And why does ABC journalist, Dan Oakes, remain subject to possible criminal prosecution?
MONDAY, 17 AUGUST 2020
