Timorese parliament calls for the charges against Bernard Collaery to be dropped
· Was ASIS bugging operation in 2004 an approved operation?
The Timorese Government yesterday passed an all-party resolution in support of dropping Collaery’s prosecution and withdrawing the conviction of ‘Witness K’.
This is a significant event,” says Kathryn Kelly, co-convenor of the Alliance Against Political Prosecutions (AAPP). “ It is clearly not in the national interest for the prosecution to continue if this is the Timor Leste government’s view.”
“Bernard Collaery and ‘Witness K’ were charged in relation to the ASIS bugging of the Timor-Leste government offices in 2004 to gain advantage in negotiations over the Timor Sea oil and gas resources. We don’t know whether this bugging was an approved operation. Did the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions establish that the required approvals were given before prosecutions were launched?” asks Ms Kelly. “If not, the prosecution of Bernard Collaery is an abuse of power and process”.
Supporters will ‘walk for justice’ tomorrow to the ACT Courts forecourt to demand the prosecution be dropped.
RALLY 9 am Wed 9 February
We will gather at the corner of Rudd Sts and Northbourne Ave (Pilgrim House) then walk down to the ACT courts.
Speakers: Senator Rex Patrick, at Pilgrim House
Bernard Collaery, at the ACT Courts,
Janet Hunt, Hon Assoc Prof, Indigenous development studies, ANU
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Contact AAPP Co-convenors
Kathryn Kelly 0417 269 984
Sister Susan Connelly 0498 473 341
website: https://aapp.ipan.org.au/