Former ASIO agent asks to return to Australia to testify about the attack in Bondi
A former agent of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), known by the alias Marcus, has resubmitted a visa application to return to Australia. He wants to testify in person before the royal commission investigating the Bondi attack and the New South Wales Police, according to ABC News Australia.
In a statement provided to ABC, Marcus noted that the families of the attack victims and all Australians “deserve to know” what led to the tragedy. He said he aims to provide information that could help shed light on the circumstances of the shooting.
Marcus claims that many years before the attack, he warned ASIO about Sajid and Navid Akram, whom ABC identifies as the attackers. He said he knew both men personally and, during his previous work, had become close to Navid Akram and had expressed concern about the radicalization of both of them.
According to the ABC, Marcus spent years infiltrating Islamist extremist groups in western Sydney while working as a paid informant for ASIO. His cover was eventually blown. ASIO had previously characterized him as a disgruntled and unreliable source, but Marcus himself disagrees with that assessment.
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Marcus is currently abroad at an undisclosed location and says he fears for his safety. His first visa application was denied because immigration authorities were not convinced that he would actually leave Australia after entering the country.
Marcus explained that due to the sensitivity of the information, security concerns, and the need for legal protection, he must testify in Australia. The Royal Commission and the New South Wales Police have expressed interest in speaking with him; the ABC has reviewed the commission’s correspondence, which confirms this. At the same time, government sources noted that the commission had not formally summoned Marcus as a witness.
His return to Australia was supported by the Information Rights Project, the Free Speech Union, PEN International, and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network. Gabriel Shipton, a representative of the Information Rights Project, stated that traveling to Australia is the safest option for Marcus, as giving video testimony from another country could put his life at risk.
