AFP demanded Qantas hand over ABC journalist’s private travel details
The Australian Federal Police asked Qantas to release details of a senior ABC journalist’s personal travel bookings, which could have wider implications for other Australians.
National
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Qantas handed over details of a senior ABC journalist’s private travel bookings to the Australian Federal Police, it has emerged one month after the controversial AFP raids on media.
The AFP demanded Qantas hand over the travel details of ABC journalist Daniel Oakes in March, Nine Newspapers reports.
Police issued the demand on March 15, just three months before the AFP raided the Canberra apartment of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst and the ABC’s Sydney headquarters.
It suggests police are building a case against the journalists over articles which included leaked classified information.
An email from a Qantas legal officer, obtained by Nine Newspapers, showed the officer accessed the airline’s booking system three days after the request to identify the flights in June and September 2016 that the AFP had requested.
“This computer system records the bookings and associated passenger details of all individuals who have made travel plans on Qantas and/or Qantas code-share flights,” the email said.
“I captured and printed the booking information and confirmation of travel once received.”
A Qantas spokesman was quoted by publication as saying: “Like all airlines, Qantas receives numerous requests for information from law enforcement agencies and we comply with these requests in accordance with our legal obligations and privacy legislation.”
AFP acting commissioner Neil Gaughan has not ruled out charging journalists or the media organisations at the centre of the probe.
Nine also obtained an internal AFP email which showed a detective sergeant from the “sensitive investigations” unit thanked the AFP’s communications staff the morning after the raid on Ms Smethurst’s home.
One of the staff reportedly replied: “Reporting hasn’t caught up on the publishing offence - many still think she’s just doing her job.”
Details of the AFP’s request to Qantas comes as the Morrison government launches a parliamentary inquiry into law enforcement and intelligence agency powers and how they impact a free press.
Media organisations had previously dismissed the need for an inquiry, instead urging the government to act immediately to overhaul legal protections for journalists and whistleblowers.
But several of Australia’s major media organisations last week agreed to contribute to the inquiry after meeting with Attorney-General Christian Porter in Canberra.
Mr Porter refused to give assurances at the meeting that journalists at the centre of the probe would not face prosecution.
Originally published as AFP demanded Qantas hand over ABC journalist’s private travel details
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