The former head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and Department of Defence, Dennis Richardson, has been sent into the Department of Home Affairs to run a probe into an alleged bribery scandal surrounding the awarding of contracts to run offshore immigration detention centres.
Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil told Parliament on Monday that Richardson will conduct an audit of governance arrangements for the management of regional processing contracts that were let to a firm known as Radiance.
The government has so far declined to refer the matter to the new National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The opposition has claimed that the relationship between O’Neil and Department of Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo has become dysfunctional.
Nine newspapers reported last week on documents tabled in Parliament that showed Australian Federal Police told opposition leader Peter Dutton in July 2018 that Sydney-based Mozammil Bhojani, and his company Radiance International, were under investigation over suspected bribes to Nauruan politicians.
The payments were made to secure preferential access to millions of dollars worth of phosphate for Radiance International.
Despite the advice, the department entered into a fresh $9.3 million contract with Radiance to provide accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers.
“They’re serious allegations and there is serious money involved,” she told Parliament.
In a statement on Monday, O’Neil said a number of “serious issues relating to the governance of contracting related to regional processing have been placed on the public record” in recent weeks.
“They merit detailed and thorough examination,” O’Neil said.
The review will report to the home affairs and finance ministers and be considered by cabinet’s national security committee.
Returning from leave on Monday, Dutton backed a separate anti-corruption watchdog investigation into the contracts.
He said he was happy to co-sign, with the prime minister, a letter of referral to the NACC.
“If there are allegations, then refer them to the NACC,” Mr Dutton told reporters in Canberra.
“But refer them back to the period of 2012 when the procurement arrangements were put in place (and Labor was in government).”
Dutton said he had checked his records for a briefing he allegedly received from the AFP but couldn’t find anything.
“As minister, I had no involvement whatsoever in relation to the contract negotiations, the execution of the agreements, and that’s true for all the predecessors,” he said.
“I have nothing to hide.”
Prime minister Anthony Albanese said the matter would not be referred to the integrity commission, as it would be thoroughly examined by the independent review.
“In particular, we will consider any integrity concerns about contracting arrangements regarding regional processing … not just to look at what’s happened in the past, but to make sure that appropriate mechanisms are put in place in the future,” he told Parliament.
With AAP
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