Counsel assisting the inquest, Jeremy Gormly, SC, said ASIO examined Monis' Facebook page three times after the hotline received a series of warnings, some of them duplicates, on December 9 last year. Man Haron Monis asked Koch, "Are you a terrorist?" in 2008. Credit:Kate Geraghty These were sent six days before the siege in which Tori Johnson, Katrina Dawson and Monis himself were killed. "The analyst concluded that the posts did not indicate a desire or intent to engage in politically motivated violence," Mr Gormly said. NSW Police and the Australian Federal Police also found the Facebook posts "contained no indications of an imminent threat".

"Nor were the postings assessed to meet the threshold for prosecution under new 'advocacy of terrorism' legislation," Mr Gormly said. ASIO had been aware of Monis since 1996 when he first applied for a business visa after immigrating from Iran. The spy agency made one adverse security assessment of Monis in 1998 but it did not relate to a terrorism threat, the inquest heard. That assessment was later overturned after an investigation. ASIO came to know Monis well as he frequently contacted it in what amounted to "little more than nuisance calls". Monis offered, over the phone and in person, to provide information about overseas terrorism such as the September 11 attacks and the London bombings.

In 2007, he claimed he wanted to become a Muslim leader to steer young people away from terrorism. In the same meeting, he gave ASIO a three-page document setting out a plan for him to become a security source. ASIO declined the offer. Inflammatory comments from Monis in 2008 drew the attention of intelligence operatives but they saw no specific threat. "While [Monis] endeavours to use language that is ambiguous and open to interpretation, he makes sure not to cross any lines and tries to ensure he can protect himself from allegations of inciting terrorism," a report found. The inquest previously heard evidence that an ASIO officer attended some of Monis' court mentions in 2013 and 2014 when he appeared on accessory to murder charges. Barrister James Renwick, SC, who appeared for ASIO, said it had provided the inquest "unprecedented" access to its premises and documents. ASIO operatives will give evidence in a closed court because of security concerns.

The inquest will examine what information ASIO held on Monis, how it interacted with other counter-terrorism bodies and whether Monis appeared on security watch lists. The inquest will conclude with an eight-week hearing beginning in March next year. That hearing will focus on the police operation during the siege itself.