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Australian Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg on leave amid investigation Australian Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg on leave amid investigation
(35 minutes later)
The head of the Australian Border Force has gone on leave amid an external investigation. The head of the Australian Border Force, Roman Quaedvlieg, has taken leave amid a probe into an undisclosed matter.
Roman Quaedvlieg has been commissioner since 2015. The justice minister, Michael Keenan, confirmed Quaedvlieg’s absence from official duties late on Monday.
“A matter is under consideration by appropriate authorities,” the acting immigration minister, Michael Keenan, said on Monday night. “The ABF commissioner is on leave. A matter is under consideration by appropriate authorities,” Keenan’s spokeswoman said in a short statement.
“There will be no further comment until that process is complete.” The government is making no further statement about the matter.
More to come ... Quaedvlieg, who has led the border force since its inception in 2015, has been quiet on social media in recent weeks. He last tweeted from the ABF commissioner’s official account on 25 May. Calls to Quaedvlieg on Monday were not returned.
Former department of immigration communications boss Sandi Logan drew attention to Quaedvlieg’s absence in Twitter on Monday.
Logan said Quaedvlieg’s “long absence” arose from an “external investigation into his ‘activities’”.
Logan did not specify the nature of the investigation but called upon the ABF to do so. The ABF did not respond to Guardian Australia’s questions on Monday.
Quaedvlieg, who has a salary of about $731,000, has been responsible for enforcing the tough border policies of the Coalition. He was considered a candidate for the NSW police commissioner’s position this year but the role was ultimately filled by Mick Fuller.
It is understood Quaedvlieg was keen to fill the position, which would have seen him return to a leading policing role.
Quaedvlieg began his policing career in Queensland but led ACT policing as chief police officer for several years, before joining the ABF. The ABF has been routinely criticised since it was established, chiefly by the National Audit Office.
Earlier this year, the audit office found the ABF was conducting unlawful searches at airports and of people’s homes, because many of its officers were not properly trained.
The Australian National Audit Office’s report into border force’s use of its statutory powers also found that 29% of airport searches examined were unlawful because one or more of the officers involved was not authorised to conduct the search.
There is not presently any suggestion these matters are linked to Quaedvlieg’s absence.