Coronavirus: ex-spy chief Dennis Richardson’s call for global virus laboratory review

Former intelligence chief Dennis Richardson is calling for a global review into security systems at all virology facilities.

Dennis Richardson said an inadvertent leak of a naturally-occurring virus from a Wuhan laboratory could potentially have started the coronavirus outbreak. Picture: Nikki Short

A former intelligence chief is calling for a global review into security systems at all virology facilities in the midst of ongoing concerns that COVID-19 could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan.

The former head of foreign ­affairs, defence and ASIO, Dennis Richardson told Sky News that, while the source of COVID-19 outbreak is still unknown, there should be a security review of high-level bio-containment facilities where deadly bat-derived coronaviruses are handled around the world.

“I think the security around such laboratories always has to be subject to review and I think everyone would hope part of the review in respect of COVID-19 would be looking at security of ­facilities globally,” Mr Richardson said. He said “accidents do occur”, and there had been breaches of protocol at some of Australian biosecurity labs.

“We have such facilities here in Australia and I do know that in the past there have been one or two accidents, at least on one occasion in the past that has been in the media, so accidents do occur,” Mr Richardson said.

“Just how good China’s security is for its level 4 laboratories I simply don’t know. The point I’m making is that accidents can happen regardless of the level of security and accidents have happened at level 4 facilities globally and it wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve happened in China because they have happened elsewhere.”

It was also revealed the Wuhan Institute of Virology had permission to engage in experimental research involving pathogenic ­viruses just 10 days before the first recorded case of COVID-19.

Mr Richardson said an inadvertent leak of a naturally-occurring virus from a Wuhan laboratory could potentially have started the coronavirus outbreak.

“Put it this way, it is a possibility. However, I don’t think it is wise to be pressing one possibility over another at this point,” he said.

“If you genuinely are interested in having a review, then it is absolutely essential that we have China’s co-operation.

“We’re not going to get China’s co-operation if before the review even starts we have people drawing conclusions and wanting to throw around accusations without evidence.”

Data provided to the Sky News investigation by the Australian Department of Agriculture revealed there had been 37 breaches of biological material at biosec­urity containment laboratories since June 2013 out of 4563 audits.