Australia news live update: record fine for Origin Energy; cabinet to finalise

The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee has heard details of the Australian federal police’s investigation into the Leppington Triangle land purchase.

Last month the AFP said it had finalised its investigation into the Commonwealth’s purchase of land for the development of the Western Sydney Airport, “with no evidence of criminal conduct identified”.

During the AFP’s appearance before a Senate estimates hearing this morning, the committee heard that 11 investigators had been involved in the Leppington investigation.

The Queensland LNP senator Gerard Rennick asked what evidence had been provided by the Australian National Audit Office as part of the investigation.

The AFP deputy commissioner, Ian McCartney, told the Senate committee:

The original referral matter indicated that fraud may have occurred and subsequent to that the auditor general provided a significant amount of digital material to the AFP as part of the investigation … It was a range of documents in terms of financial transactions, valuation agreements, a range of documents related to the transaction.

Rennick: “And no evidence was found of any wrongdoing?”

McCartney: “We have put out a statement saying we identified no criminal wrongdoing in relation to the matter, senator.”.

Rennick: “So do you know why if there was no evidence of any wrongdoing … why the auditor-general would think there was evidence of wrongdoing?”

McCartney:

Well I think you’d have to ask the auditor general, but in the letter he provided to Australian federal police he indicated the suspicion of fraud in relation to the transaction. We received that matter, we decided to undertake an investigation, and as a result of that investigation we haven’t found criminal offending in relation to the matter, senator.

Rennick: “Did you have to conduct raids on the the staff’s houses to get all possible records?”

McCartney: “I think we’ve said before at Senate estimates [that] we don’t conduct raids, we conduct search warrants. We conducted two search warrants, but I’m not prepared to say in terms of the open hearing what they related to, senator.”

Rennick made a general statement that included the question “Where’s the accountability with the auditor general?”

(The ANAO is due to face Senate estimates tonight.)

The hearing continues.