Australian Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg dismisses allegations he acted inappropriately

EXCLUSIVE: Australian Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg told his bosses that his relationship with a younger woman started after she secured a job at the organisation scanning passports at Sydney Airport.

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AUSTRALIAN Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg told his superiors that his relationship with a younger woman started after she had secured a job within the organisation scanning passports at Sydney Airport.

The Daily Telegraph can now also reveal that when a complaint was first lodged, Mr Quaedvlieg said his girlfriend secured the low-ranking role in December via an ­independent selection process that was run by an external ­recruiter.

And she was just one of hundreds of casual employees employed by the ABF to perform frontline work, including scanning passports and helping passengers.

Australian Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg has stood down amid a growing scandal. Pictures: Jack Tran

Mr Quaedvlieg, a 52-year-old with three children, is understood to have also told his government bosses the relationship with his new partner did not start until he had separated from his wife of 11 years earlier this year.

The ABF commissioner is facing a complaint he helped secure his girlfriend the job, which is under investigation by the corruption watchdog Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity.

Mr Quaedvlieg was so confident it would quickly become apparent he had not played any role in helping his current girlfriend join the ABF he ­offered to stand aside while ACLEI reviewed the matter.

Mr Quaedvlieg, a 52-year-old with three children, has recently left his longtime wife.

Yet, despite being off work for almost five weeks, The Daily Telegraph understands investigators have not yet questioned him. It is understood Mr Quaedvlieg supported a professional, low-profile process that would deal with any perceptions of inappropriate conduct.

Instead, this week it became well publicised after a leak, ­potentially damaging Mr Quaedvlieg’s career prospects.

The Daily Telegraph understands Mr Quaedvlieg informed his superiors at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection that he took deliberate steps to stay at arm’s length from his now girlfriend’s application to work in a low-ranking ABF job at Sydney Airport.

Mr Quaedvlieg’s new girlfriend applied to work as a customs officer at Sydney Airport.

He did not write a reference or support her application in any way. He also told his superiors that their new relationship was not in any way improper because he had separated from his wife of 11 years.

Mr Quaedvlieg, Immigration Department Secretary Michael Pezzullo and former NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas have been candidates in the running for the highly-coveted head role at Homeland Security Secretary.

Secretary of the Immigration Department Michael Pezzullo was also a Homeland Security contender. Picture: AAP

Former NSW Police Force counter terrorism chief Nick Kaldas was also in the running for the Homeland Security role.

There are suggestions the complaint may be politically driven. The Commissioner has put some people within the ­organisation off-side with his hard-line ­approach.

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There are claims morale inside the organisation is low. If Mr Quaedvlieg is cleared, he could still be in line for the Homeland Security role should Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull choose to ­announce it as part of a broader reshuffle later this year.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, in line to become Homeland Security Minister, has been overseas since news of Mr Quaedvlieg’s leave broke.

He has been keeping his distance from his Commissioner while the investigation is taking place. The Daily Telegraph yesterday spoke to Mr Quaedvlieg, but he declined to comment.

The investigation was elevated to the public eye when former communications chief at the Immigration ­Department Sandi Logan contacted journalists about it over Twitter.