Bernard Collaery is a hero in East Timor, but faced prosecution in Australia for revealing a spy mission.
Bernard Collaery was prosecuted for his role in revealing an Australian spy mission in East TimorIt involves one of the country's biggest diplomatic scandals - a tale of spies, oil and accusations of greed.
Mr Collaery and his client - an Australian spy known only as Witness K - were the ones who told East Timor, prosecutors later alleged. "Seeing any investigation of a lawyer for pursuing a case is absolutely extraordinary," says Australian constitutional law expert Rebecca Ananian-Welsh. "It is behaviour that is not worthy of a close friend and neighbour or of a great nation like Australia," he said.The case stalled for five years because the rare charges related to intelligence. This meant prosecutors required the permission of Australia's attorney general to proceed.
It also drew ire in East Timor - several leaders including Mr Gusmao blasted the move and promised to give evidence for the pair in court. It sought to back up that argument with evidence they said was so sensitive that not even Mr Collaery or his lawyers could see it - just the deciding judge."I know of nothing which is a comparable example of closing the doors of open justice to the Australian public. This is a shameful episode," Mr Watson says.
"Political intervention in a prosecution doesn't sit quite right with me. But this is the extreme scenario that needed it," argues Dr Ananian-Welsh.Image source,East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta and former Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao called out Australia's actions"Australia is taller, stronger, than a petty punishment of a good man who spoke his conscience," Mr Ramos-Horta told ABC News.
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