NSW police confirm the arrest of a fifth detainee over an outstanding warrant
A fifth person freed from immigration detention has been arrested in Queensland, as the opposition suggests he was released ‘without any checks’.
A fifth person released from immigration detention has been arrested in Queensland, NSW police confirmed.
William Yekrop is expected to be extradited to NSW on Friday to face a matter over an outstanding arrest warrant.
“A 39-year-old man has been arrested in Queensland on an outstanding NSW revocation of parole arrest warrant,” NSW police said in a statement.
Officers from the Queensland Corrective Services Investigation Unit arrested the man in Brisbane around 9am.
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan asked the government about reports that a fifth detainee released into the community – because of the High Court’s NZYQ ruling – had now been arrested by Queensland Police.
Mr Tehan suggested the man was released “without any checks being carried out.”
Yekrop was one of 148 people released back into the community after the High Court ruled it was unlawful to indefinitely detain non-citizens who had served their sentences and had no prospect of deportation.
It is understood he was originally released without any checks for any return to prison warrants standing against him.
Yekrop was taken to the Brisbane Watchhouse where NSW officers are expected to extradite the man in the coming days.
He was wanted by virtue of an outstanding revocation of parole warrant in relation to the offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
“The normal process is for us to try and get him extradited back to NSW to court down here,” a NSW police spokesman said.
“We apply for extradition.”
Mr Tehan asked Immigration Minister Andrew Giles whether he could confirm that “this person should not have been released into the community?”
Mr Giles responded by saying that he could not comment on individual cases.
“As the Opposition Leader himself has said, and I quote the Leader of the Opposition, ‘I am not going to comment on individual cases because I will have been a decision-maker. If matters go to the court again I don’t want to intervene or taint that process’.”
Mr Giles then said that the government had set up Operation AEGIS on November 10 – a joint task force between the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force – which was working closely with state and territory police forces to share information and enforce visa conditions.
Mr Tehan told The Australian that – if the reports about the arrest of the fifth detainee were true – it was “proof positive that the government jumped the gun in releasing the 148 hardened criminals from detention”.
“The Prime Minister now must sack Minister Giles and (Home Affairs) Minister (Clare) O’Neil,” he said.
The most recent reports on the arrest of the fifth detainee have stated that he is a stateless man who was a former Sudanese child soldier.
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