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IGIS Annual Report 1999-00 |
IGIS Annual Report 1999-00
DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION
COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES264. There were no complaints about DIO during the reporting period.
Espionage inquiry
265. Work continued in response to a reference from the Prime Minister in May 1999, shortly after a former DIO employee, Mr Jean-Philippe Wispelaere, was arrested in the United States of America on espionage-related charges.
266. The terms of reference asked me to inquire into matters relevant to the case that prompted the referral and also to advise the government on any specific measures that should be taken to strengthen the protection of classified information against espionage.
267. The investigation of the second term of reference was deferred several times during the 1999-2000 reporting period, in view of delays in the impending trial of Mr Wispelaere. At the end of the reporting period a decision on when he would go to trial was still pending.
268. In early 2000 I provided a report on the first term of reference to the Prime Minister and a report on technical issues to the Director DIO.
Inquiry into security investigation
269. As has been widely reported, DIO's senior representative in North America, Mr Mervyn Jenkins, committed suicide in June 1999. Immediately prior to Mr Jenkins's death, he was the subject of a security investigation.
270. In February 2000 the Minister for Defence asked me to inquire into the circumstances leading to the conduct of the investigation and whether the investigation was conducted in accordance with Commonwealth procedures, and to comment on any other relevant matters.
271. I engaged the recently retired Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Mr A S Blunn AO, to conduct an investigation into this matter and to prepare a draft report of his findings and recommendations.
272. A member of my staff assisted Mr Blunn in his investigations and Mr Blunn consulted with me regularly. He provided me with a draft report in June 2000. I subsequently sought comments on the draft from affected agencies and persons, in accordance with the requirements of the IGIS Act.
273. This inquiry should be completed no later than October 2000.
274. The DSD inquiry referred to at paragraph 244 also involves DIO.
275. I would like to thank the Director DIO and his staff for the courtesy they displayed and the considerable assistance that they provided to my office in the course of our various inquiries during the reporting period.