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Australian Federal Police
Media Release
26Sep2002

Senator Faulkner Has Got it Wrong

Senator Faulkner has used selective quotes and is wrongly linking facts and fiction over the AFP operations into people smuggling, and the use of the former AFP informant Kevin John Enniss.

The facts available to but apparently ignored by Senator Faulkner are:

  • Kevin Enniss was operating out of Kupang some 1,300km from the departure point of SIEV X, and had nothing to do with either the vessel or its passengers.
  • Kevin Enniss ceased his operations with the Indonesian National Police at least two or three weeks prior to the departure of SIEV X.
  • Kevin Enniss has been formally interviewed since the Nine Network's Sunday Program alleged his involvement in the sabotaging of vessels. He emphatically denies any such involvement.
  • There appears to be no recording of this allegation only the recall of the journalists who have refused to be formally interviewed as part of the AFP investigation.
  • The AFP has made comprehensive complaints to both the Nine Network and the Australian Broadcasting Authority about their programs and these complaints are not yet resolved. Despite this Senator Faulkner still chose to rely on the Programs as factual accounts.

It is easy to make spurious allegations and many of the allegations made by Sunday, and repeated by Senator Faulkner are just that. When properly investigated, the allegations lack substance.

Two signed statements have been taken from senior Indonesian Police officers involved in managing Mr Enniss' undercover activities in the West Timor area. They reported a 100% success rate in preventing asylum seekers from leaving West Timor after April 2001 and as no boats left this area, none could have been sabotaged.

The AFP gave evidence to the Certain Maritime Incident Senate Inquiry on 11 July 2002. Reference to pages 1932, 1933, 1980 and 1981 of that evidence clearly shows the Senator has been selective in his quotes about disruption activity, especially the reassurances I, and others, gave to the Committee about only engaging in lawful and humane activity.

I have previously undertaken to provide the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee with the results of the AFP investigation into these matters. On Tuesday, 24 September, I made an offer of a further briefing to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee. Therefore, Senator Faulkner could have clarified his position before embarking any further on his allegations. Instead, he has chosen to sully the reputation of the AFP, and myself as the Commissioner, instead of availing himself of the facts.

Senator Faulkner's choice to ignore the facts is regrettable. The AFP has never been involved in the sabotaging of vessels either directly or indirectly.

Statement Authorised by Commissioner Mick Keelty

Media contact: Steve Jiggins AFP Media Ph 02 6275 7647 or 041 113 2761

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