Monthly Archives: April 2014

ASIS Witness to appear for Timor Leste at the Hague

ASIS witness to appear in East Timor legal battle
David Wroe and Tom Allard April 21, 2014 theAge.com.au
An international panel of jurists has ordered Australia to make available East Timor’s star witness – a former Australian spy – in a high-stakes legal battle between the two countries over $40 billion of disputed oil and gas reserves.
In a major blow to Australia, the panel of jurists has cleared the way for the former Australian Secret Intelligence Service officer to testify that he helped bug East Timor’s cabinet room during negotiations over the Greater Sunrise oil and gas fields.
East Timor is trying to have the agreement, which was struck in 2006 with Australia over the reserves in the Timor Sea, overturned on the grounds Canberra did not negotiate in good faith.
Australia tried to block the officer from testifying, on the grounds he would be breaching Australian national security laws. His passport has been cancelled and his house was raided in December by security agency ASIO.
ASIO also raided the home of East Timor’s Australian lawyer Bernard Collaery and seized more than a dozen documents including a statement the ASIS officer had given alleging the spying activities. Continue reading