Russia spy charges raise questions about Defence Force vetting
ADF procedures are facing scrutiny after a couple became the first people charged under Australia’s new espionage laws.
As the government loosens citizenship requirements for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), a Russian-born Army private and her husband have become the first people charged under Australia’s new espionage laws.
The woman, 40, is accused of instructing her husband, 64, on how to access Defence’s systems as she made an undeclared trip to Russia. Police allege she intended to hand over sensitive information to the Kremlin.
Authorities can’t say whether that information is now in the hands of Russian spies. If convicted, the pair face up to 15 years in jail, or potentially life sentences if authorities find the plot was successful.
Announcing the charges in Canberra on Friday morning, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw and ASIO director-general Mike Burgess framed the investigation as having nipped the plot in the bud.
