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Roberts-Smith Arrest Leak Referred to Corruption Body
The Office of the Special Investigator asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission to examine whether arrest details were leaked before Roberts-Smith was charged.
- On Tuesday, the Office of the Special Investigator and Australian Federal Police jointly referred unauthorised media leaks to the National Anti-Corruption Commission concerning advance notice given to journalists before Ben Roberts-Smith's arrest at Sydney Airport on April 7.
- Nine News had reporters positioned at Sydney Airport ahead of Roberts-Smith's arrival and broadcast footage from inside the terminal, prompting OSI director-general Chris Moraitis to express alarm after seeing media present on the morning of the arrest.
- During Senate estimates on Tuesday night, Moraitis told lawmakers: "It's a matter that concerns me. The media seem to have been privy to things, and therefore we're taking steps to ascertain what happened there," adding the agencies believed there was an unauthorised disclosure.
- The National Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed the matter was under active consideration with commissioner Paul Brereton recused to avoid conflicts, while criminal lawyer Karen Espiner representing Roberts-Smith called the leak "a serious breach of protocol and integrity" demanding accountability.
- Of the Office of the Special Investigator's 53 investigations into alleged war crimes, 39 have been discontinued and 10 remain ongoing with two veterans charged; prosecutors have foreshadowed additional charges in what has been described as "the murder trial of the decade.
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 20%
R 20%
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