ASIO and Bugs
A FORMER senior officer at Australia's overseas intelligence service has been identified as East Timor's star witness in its espionage dispute with Australia, as intelligence services raided the offices of the Australian lawyer representing East Timor in the case.
Lawyer Bernard Collaery told The Australian last night that Australia's domestic spy agency sent between 15 and 20 officers to raid his Canberra law practice, searching for information on the case East Timor has brought against Australia over the operation of the multi-billion-dollar gas treaty governing the Greater Sunrise fields.
Attorney-General George Brandis last night revealed he issued the warrants for the raids, in which documents and electronic media were seized. He said the documents contained intelligence related to security matters.
The Australian revealed in May that the East Timor government alleged the Australian Secret Intelligence Service broke into its government offices in Dili during the 2004 negotiations and bugged the Timorese cabinet room.
East Timor alleges that ASIS breached international law and Timorese sovereignty under a "criminal conspiracy hatched in Canberra". It claims the operation took place under the control of former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer.
In the wake of the Greater Sunrise espionage claims, the Timorese government has declared the Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea Treaty invalid and triggered compulsory arbitration.
Mr Collaery, currently in The Hague to attend the arbitration, told The Australian that ASIO had targeted him and a former senior ASIS officer who had blown the whistle.
"This is the most senior ASIS officer in the relevant area (who) viewed the action as immoral and wrong and came to me for advice," Mr Collaery said.
"Our research has found they (the actions) were clearly illegal as they had no relationship with national security," Mr Collaery said.
Mr Collaery said ASIO officers had been at the house of the former officer for many hours and seized his passport, making it impossible for him to give evidence at The Hague. The Australian understands the former intelligence officer has not been arrested.
"This is no maverick whistleblower," Mr Collaery said. "It is a courageous retired officer disgusted with the way his organisation was going."
Senator Brandis rejected reports that the raids had been conducted to "affect or impede" the current arbitration between Australia and East Timor in The Hague.
Asked by The Australian to confirm the latest claims, ASIO responded that it had "no comment on this matter".
Mr Collaery said he was furious at what he called "cowardly action" by ASIO in waiting for him to leave the country, while only his senior clerk was in the office.
The Gillard government first aired very basic details of the claim by East Timor in March.source
Lawyer Bernard Collaery told The Australian last night that Australia's domestic spy agency sent between 15 and 20 officers to raid his Canberra law practice, searching for information on the case East Timor has brought against Australia over the operation of the multi-billion-dollar gas treaty governing the Greater Sunrise fields.
Attorney-General George Brandis last night revealed he issued the warrants for the raids, in which documents and electronic media were seized. He said the documents contained intelligence related to security matters.
The Australian revealed in May that the East Timor government alleged the Australian Secret Intelligence Service broke into its government offices in Dili during the 2004 negotiations and bugged the Timorese cabinet room.
East Timor alleges that ASIS breached international law and Timorese sovereignty under a "criminal conspiracy hatched in Canberra". It claims the operation took place under the control of former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer.
In the wake of the Greater Sunrise espionage claims, the Timorese government has declared the Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea Treaty invalid and triggered compulsory arbitration.
Mr Collaery, currently in The Hague to attend the arbitration, told The Australian that ASIO had targeted him and a former senior ASIS officer who had blown the whistle.
"This is the most senior ASIS officer in the relevant area (who) viewed the action as immoral and wrong and came to me for advice," Mr Collaery said.
"Our research has found they (the actions) were clearly illegal as they had no relationship with national security," Mr Collaery said.
Mr Collaery said ASIO officers had been at the house of the former officer for many hours and seized his passport, making it impossible for him to give evidence at The Hague. The Australian understands the former intelligence officer has not been arrested.
"This is no maverick whistleblower," Mr Collaery said. "It is a courageous retired officer disgusted with the way his organisation was going."
Senator Brandis rejected reports that the raids had been conducted to "affect or impede" the current arbitration between Australia and East Timor in The Hague.
Asked by The Australian to confirm the latest claims, ASIO responded that it had "no comment on this matter".
Mr Collaery said he was furious at what he called "cowardly action" by ASIO in waiting for him to leave the country, while only his senior clerk was in the office.
The Gillard government first aired very basic details of the claim by East Timor in March.source