The man who took Ipswich anti-corruption campaigner Jim Dodrill and his father to bushland where they were assaulted on Sunday is a former senior member of the Zimbabwean police Special Branch with experience in covert operations and intelligence.

The man, Brian Oberholster, is a former Detective Superintendent who ran undercover agents in southern African political parties. He previously worked as a murder detective in a 20-year career in British South Africa Police and its post-colonial successor organisation up until the 1980s.

Jim Dodrill after the attack on Sunday.

On Tuesday night Mr Oberholster told Fairfax Media he had been present at the incident in which the Dodrills were attacked but had not called police.

He said he had called local councillor Kerry Silver at 5.15pm.