Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—On 20 January this year, senior Hamas figure Mahmud al-Mabhouh was found murdered in a hotel room in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. On 16 February, police in Dubai announced that falsified passports from the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Germany had been used in connection with the case. Late on 22 February, Dubai authorities approached Australian officials in the United Arab Emirates with an inquiry about two Australian passports in possible connection with the murder. Late on 23 February, Dubai authorities confirmed to Australian officials that they were investigating the use of a total of three Australian passports in connection with the murder. Since that time, Australian officials have been fully cooperating with the Dubai authorities in their investigations.

Yesterday, Wednesday, 24 February, I spoke to my counterpart, United Arab Emirates foreign minister His Highness Sheikh Abdullah. I advised him that the Australian government was taking the matter extremely seriously and that the Australian government, its officials and its agencies would continue to fully cooperate with Dubai authorities.

Overnight, Dubai authorities announced publicly that, in connection with the murder, they were investigating three people who had used Australian passports. The passports concerned were under the names of Joshua Bruce, Adam Korman and Nicole McCabe. The Australian government is very gravely concerned that these Australian passports appear to have been used fraudulently.

The Australian government has asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate the possible fraudulent use of these passports. The Australian Federal Police will conduct a full investigation with the assistance of the Australian Passport Office and other relevant agencies, including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, ASIO. The Australian Federal Police will continue to cooperate closely with authorities in Dubai in the investigation into the murder of al-Mabhouh.

Preliminary analysis by the Australian Federal Police, together with the Australian Passport Office, shows that the three Australian passports appear to have been duplicated or altered. At this stage, Australian officials have no information to suggest the three Australian passport holders were involved in any way other than as victims of passport or identity fraud. The Australian government condemns in the strongest possible terms the misuse and the abuse of Australian passports.

Earlier this morning I called in the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, Ambassador Rotem. I made it crystal clear to the ambassador that the Australian government regards this as a matter of the gravest concern. I underlined to Ambassador Rotem that Australia expected the Israeli government, its officials and its agencies to cooperate fully and transparently with the Australian Federal Police investigation into this matter.

We will all be rightly concerned about the impact this incident will have on the Australians concerned and their families. Officials from the Australian Passport Office have been in the process of contacting Mr Bruce, Mr Korman and Miss McCabe and their families. We will of course offer the three Australians full consular support and assistance.

The Australian government is committed to ensuring the integrity of Australia’s passports. Considerable resources and effort are put into ensuring the integrity of the Australian passport. Indeed, Australia is a recognised leader in the development and implementation of secure passport technology. Regrettably, no document is ever completely safe from people who try to tamper with it for criminal or illegal purposes. The three passports in question here were issued in 2003. Since that time there have been a number of significant enhancements to Australian passports. The Australian government will continue to make the security and integrity of the Australian passport system one of its highest priorities.

I will keep the House informed of developments in this matter and I thank the House for its indulgence.