AFP ruled allegations about return of vessels to Indonesia could have ‘high’ impact on Australian society, after they were referred by Greens senator

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A request made by a Greens senator to the Australian federal police to investigate allegations that people smugglers were paid by Australian officials was regarded by the AFP as an essential priority, documents show.



In June allegations emerged that officials on board an Australian vessel had paid people-smuggling crews to return vessels to Indonesia.



Legal experts have warned that the allegations could constitute an offence under Australian law. The allegations drew heavy criticism from the Greens and Labor, and sparked an inquiry in the Senate.

The government has continued to refuse to confirm or deny the veracity of the allegations, and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young referred the claims to the AFP for investigation in June.

Documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws show that the referral was assessed as a significant priority for the AFP.

An extract from the AFP’s case categorisation system lists the priority of the assessment as “essential” and outlines it could have a “high” impact on Australian society.

The resources dedicated to the investigation and the potential duration of the AFP’s inquiries have been redacted on the grounds that the release of the information could have a substantial adverse effect on the agency’s operations.

No additional budget allocation is listed for the investigation, but this is not unusual for referrals.

An AFP spokeswoman said: “As part of the normal assessment process for matters referred to the AFP, resourcing implications are considered.

“In this case existing resourcing was deemed appropriate to deal with the evaluation of the referral. As such no specific dollar amount was required to be included in the CCPM document.”

The spokeswoman said the evaluation of Hanson-Young’s referral was continuing.

In the event the referral did progress to an investigation and advance further, it would still likely face considerable barriers. The attorney general is required to consent to any prosecution relating to people-smuggling offences.

Separate freedom of information requests lodged by Guardian Australia have also revealed the Department of Defence have not undertaken any internal inquiries about the people-smuggling payments.

Access was sought to any “quick assessments” conducted by defence into the allegations, and any statements taken from Royal Australian Navy officers and crew personnel into the allegations.

Both requests were refused on the basis that no documents existed.