Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 2:38:17 to 2:43:53
Inquiry into the AFP's assessment of referrals from advocacy groups regarding Australians serving in the IDF during hostilities in Gaza.
Topics: Human rights, International law
Speakers: Senator David Shoebridge, Stephen Nutt, Matthew Gale, Speaker 21, Unknown Speaker, Krissy Barrett, Speaker 1
>> Um, thanks so much, Commissioner. First of all, I'd like to acknowledge the professionalism of the Spittle team um, in the engagements that I've had with them and if you could pass that through to them um, that would be appreciated. Um, I just have in the short time we have two basic questions I'll put to you. The first is what has the AFP done if anything with the referral from Amnesty, APAN, and AAN? um APA being the Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network, Aman being the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network. Um their referral about Australians who are alleged to have committed crimes under Australian law while serving as members in the IDF um during hostilities in Gaza. Has that referral been assessed? Has it been progressed? Are there resources attached
>> Thank you, Senator. Uh first, I'll pass to Deputy Commissioner Hilda Surk. And we also have uh acting assistant commissioner Matt Gale at the table who can speak to this.
>> Thank you Senator Hill the Sierra Deputy Commissioner National Security Investigations. We are aware aware of those referrals and uh we have taken that information forward in regards to undertaking uh reliable inquiries. But in terms of the specificity on relation to those investigations, I'll pass on to acting assistant commissioner Matt G.
>> And you may need to switch because
that on the 20th of May 2026, the AFP received correspondence from Amnesty International Australia. uh the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network and the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network. Uh this matter has been referred to my special investigations command and we're reviewing the material that has been provided and we will provide an update in appropriate time.
>> All right. Um and you're not able to under identify how how that's been staffed, how many um how many of your officers have been attached to that investigation?
>> Uh it's it's been referred into by command. So I think uh in relation to how we actually resource that >> uh it is is part of our our day-to-day workflow. So we we treat that with the the appropriate level of priority these are actually quite complex and voluminous uh referrals that we have received. So there is quite a process of actually going through [clears throat] and giving the due diligence to the reports that we have received. They do take time though
>> which is why I was asking about staffing. How many staff are attached to it?
>> Uh so we have uh a number of teams. So I have two dedicated teams in CRA and I have team uh a team in Sydney and also a team in Melbourne that support uh matters that come into the special investigations command. War crimes is one of those responsibilities that the command tends to
>> Yeah. So how many of those um um staff have been attached to this particular investigation.
Senator, we won't go into specifics in terms of how many numbers of members are part of the team because as you can appreciate through any investigation, depending on the inquiries, it will wax and wayne in terms of requirements. We have dedicated individuals involved.
>> Given the time, could I ask you to provide on notice whatever details you can about the hours that have been devoted to it so far and expectations going forward. Um, Commissioner, in May, you announced an international joint investigations team in Bogotaa. Five months later, the Colum Colombia's anti-narcotics police say they have no record of any agreement. Inquiries um that have been sent to Colombia have come up with nothing. So, is there an agreement? Who in the Colombia National Police has the AFP actually signed this agreement? Um what is the state of cooperation with Colombia?
>> Thank you, Senator. I'll pass to Assistant Commissioner Steve Nut to answer your question. Uh good evening
senator. Thank you for your [clears throat] question. Steve Nut, assistant commissioner for global operations. Uh yes indeed. Um the announcement was made in May uh at the uh the conference uh in Fiji. Uh present at that conference were also representatives from the Colombian National Police. Uh since then going from the announcement of the concept uh I traveled to uh Bogota myself uh and signed a annex to our uh uh agreement with the Colombian National Police on how we cooperate in um Colombia. That was done on the 21st of August 2026. Uh since then and even during that trip met with officials uh from the Colombian National Police. So present at the signing was the major general uh Penna uh who I signed the agreement with and also met with officials from the direction deinvestigation criminal L interpol or DIJIN um who are the responsible authority uh in Colombia who are working with us with establishing the uh international joint investigation.
>> I have run out of time. Can you put on notice um uh how many AFP staff are in Colombia under that? Um and can you put on notice as well um if you have had any engagement with Colombian police given their um their their public statements that they knew nothing of these agreements?
>> We are of course working very closely with the Colombian National Police
because we have run out of time.
>> Take it on notice. Yes.
>> Senator BL.