Raided, suspended MP Shaoquett Moselmane’s return to NSW parliament

Shaoquett Moselmane, raided amid national security investigation, says he’s still not clear why he was targeted.

Shaoquett Moselmane said he did not understand why the Australian Federal Police had collected “hair and dust from my family cars” and walked sniffer dogs through his home. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.

Suspended Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane, whose home and parliamentary office were raided as part of an unprecedented national security investigation, has returned to the NSW parliament for the first time since stepping aside in June.

Mr Moselmane, an upper house MLC, gave a personal statement to the Legislative Council saying that he had done nothing wrong and that he remained unclear why he was targeted by police and security officials.

“It was hard, Mr President,” Mr Moselmane said. “To date, Mr President, I remain none-the-wiser as to what this investigation is all about. I don’t know why it was necessary for my public humiliation, nor do I know who decided that it was necessary for the media to accompany the police raid into my home.”

Mr Moselmane, who has not been charged with any offences, said he did not understand why the Australian Federal Police had collected “hair and dust from my family cars” and walked sniffer dogs through his home.

“I wonder what evidence that would have provided the AFP to assist their foreign interference investigation,” he said.

Federal officers enter the home of NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane in Rockdale on June 26. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

The raids, conducted in partnership with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, were executed on June 26 in connection with the possible infiltration of the NSW parliament by Chinese Community Party agents.

Mr Moselmane’s part-time staffer, John Zhang, was similarly raided by officers and has since resigned from his role in Mr Moselmane’s office. He is challenging the legality of the warrants in the High Court of Australia.

While Mr Moselmane has insisted numerous times that he is not a suspect in the matter, officials have yet to publicly confirm whether this is the case, though they have previously said the matter remains ongoing.

The Legislative Council moved on Wednesday to seek clarity from the AFP about the status of the investigation and Mr Moselmane’s alleged role.

“It is because I have done nothing wrong that I am back here in this honourable house,” Mr Moselmane said, thanking numerous MPs and members of the community for their support.

He singled out the President of the Legislative Council, John Ajaka, for calling every morning for more than 100 days since the raid “simply wanting to ask are you okay?”.