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Tony Abbott has boasted about ‘turning back the boats’ as bribery allegations built. Pic: Marc McCormack Source: News Corp Australia
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has used a speech in Sydney to celebrate his government’s work on boat turn-backs, despite lingering questions over whether Australian officials paid people smugglers to return to Indonesia.
Mr Abbott addressed the Liberal Party faithful in Sydney on Saturday at the party’s state council, singling out former immigration minister Scott Morrison for special praise.
“He did what everyone said couldn’t be done — he stopped the boats,†Mr Abbott said, to shouts of “hear, hear†from the audience at the Four Seasons ballroom.
Just how those boats were stopped has been called into question recently as allegations continue against Australian officials who reportedly paid people smugglers to turn around a boat carrying 65 asylum seekers.
While evidence of the bribery claims continues to build, the latest claims implicating Indonesian police have added an unexpected twist to the developing scandal.
People smugglers bribed Indonesian police to allow the departure of the asylum-seeker boat whose crew were allegedly paid by Australian officials to turn back, it’s been reported.
Indonesia says a letter from Julie Bishop has given them no clarification on payments to people smugglers.
Indonesian police and passengers on the boat have alleged that six crew members were paid about $US5000 ($6410) each to take the asylum seekers back to Indonesia after the boat was intercepted at sea by Australian Customs and the navy late last month.
The Abbott government has refused to confirm or deny that money was paid over by Australian officials.
The Australian today reports sources have revealed that Indonesian police were bribed to allow the boat to leave, bound for New Zealand.
The report says the Australians were certain the boat was unseaworthy and could not possibly get that far, and they were concerned the people could end up in the water, making rescue difficult.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has written to her Indonesian counterpart Reto Marsudi, who was dissatisfied with her explanation of the claims, AAP reportedly yesterday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop. Pic: Gary Ramage Source: News Corp Australia
A Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said Ms Bishop’s letter, delivered by Ambassador Paul Grigson, gave no explanation of whether Australia paid cash to an asylum boat crew.
“When we did not receive any new information or any clarification, again, like I said, we cannot be blamed for taking the view that there was an illicit payment made to the smugglers,†Mr Nasir told reporters.
A boat captain and five crew members are being questioned by police on the Indonesian island of Rote for aiding 65 people who wanted asylum in New Zealand, and say an Australian official paid them cash to turn back to Indonesia.
Mr Abbott came close to confirming the allegations in his speech on Saturday, using the opportunity to have a dig at Labor, also accused of paying informants in 2010 in an effort to curb people smuggling.
“On Monday, Mr Shorten attacked us for allegedly doing something to turn around the boats, which it turned out he had done exactly the same — only it didn’t work when they tried to do it,†he said.