Arabic version: عميل سابق في ASIO يسعى للعودة للإدلاء بشهادته بشأن بونداي
According to ABC News, a former ASIO agent known as Marcus says Australians and the families of victims of the Bondi terror attack “deserve to know” what led to the shooting. Marcus is seeking to return to Australia to give evidence in person to the Bondi royal commission and New South Wales Police.
Marcus, who spent years infiltrating Islamic extremist groups in western Sydney as a paid source for ASIO, says he knew Bondi gunmen Sajid and Naveed Akram personally. He says he became concerned about the apparent radicalisation of both men and raised concerns with ASIO before last December’s attack.
His cover was eventually exposed and he later fell out with ASIO. The agency has described him as a “disgruntled and unreliable source”, a characterisation Marcus rejects. He is now living at an undisclosed location abroad and says he fears for his safety.
Marcus said the sensitivity of the information he holds, security concerns, legal protections and expert legal advice led him to conclude that he needs to engage with the royal commission onshore. His first visa application was rejected because immigration authorities were not satisfied that he genuinely intended to leave Australia, but he has lodged another application. While government sources said his evidence could be provided remotely and securely, the royal commission and NSW Police have expressed interest in speaking with him. Whistleblower advocacy groups, including the Information Rights Project, Free Speech Union and PEN International, have supported his effort to return.
