CRIME:
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been arrested by Australian Federal Police (AFP) and charged with fraud and may face further similar charges for past alleged offences.
An AFP spokesperson said Mr Turnbull had been wanted for some time on a number of charges but had been eluding arrest.
“It ends up he has been hiding in plain sight all the time,” the spokesperson said. “AFP officers have reported seeing stories in various media outlets in recent months featuring a person identified as ‘Malcolm Turnbull’ supporting the ‘yes’ case in the current referendum campaign for a First Nations’ voice to federal parliament,” the spokesperson said.
“But they repeatedly dismissed those stories as being someone who just happened to have the same name.
“None of our very experienced investigators thought that the real Malcolm Turnbull would dare to show his face at a ‘yes’ event after he as the then prime minister tried to strangle the idea at birth by labelling it ‘a third chamber of parliament’ straight after the Uluru Statement from the Heart was delivered.
“Our investigators simply couldn’t comprehend of anyone so shameless as to turn up and support the ‘yes’ case after trying so hard to kill it when he had the opportunity and authority to be an early advocate for it.”
AFP officers attended a rally this week (below) where they questioned the person they believed to be Mr Turnbull and took him into custody. (main picture)
“He was later charged with fraud in connection with his activities related to the voice to parliament,” the spokesperson said.
“AFP investigators are considering proceeding against Mr Turnbull with other charges that would clear up a backlog of cold cases if they proceed.
“They include fraud charges covering his time as a Coalition government minister or prime minister in relation to his advocacy of a republic while doing nothing as PM to advance the cause, promoting his model for the National Broadband Network as the best and cheapest version, his failure to advocate for a coherent clean energy policy despite pretending to be a supporter of renewable energy, and other charges in connection with the cost blowout and constructions delays for the Snowy 2.0 hydro-electric project which he promised would be a quick, cheap, and easy way to inject more renewable energy into the national grid,” the spokesperson said.
The Sydney law firm engaged by Mr Turnbull said he would be fighting all charges.
“Our client is looking forward to having his day in court,” the firm’s spokesperson said.
“We will be mounting a vigorous defence on his behalf, although – and we don’t usually say this – he’s guilty as hell. Check ‘fraud’ in the dictionary and there’s a picture of Malcolm.
After holding forth at length on the character of their client, the firm’s spokesperson told The Bug‘s reporter: “Maybe you might want to tone down my comments before you publish.” (Editor’s note: We did.)
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