Offices of lawyer for Timor-Leste raided by Australian spy service

A lawyer representing Timor-Leste in a case charging Australia with spying says his Canberra office was raided Tuesday by the Australian intelligence service. Speaking from The Hague where he is preparing for trial, Bernard Collaery said electronic and paper files were seized by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. He said ASIO agents spent "some hours seizing all manner of documents and other records on the basis that there was a national security issue." Collaery said a former ASIO agent who is a key witness in the case was arrested in a separate raid in Canberra. The agent was reportedly questioned for several hours. Timor-Leste charges the Australian Secret Intelligence Service secretly placed listening devices in the offices of Timorese ministers and officials during oil and gas negotiations in 2004. Attorney General George Brandis confirmed in a statement ASIO had executed search warrants at several locations around Canberra. However, he denied the raid was conducted to affect the arbitration at The Hague. "I have seen reports this evening containing allegations that the warrants were issued in order to affect or impede the current arbitration between Australia and Timor-Leste at The Hague," Brandis said. "Those allegations are wrong." "I have instructed ASIO that the material taken into possession is not under any circumstances to be communicated to those conducting those proceedings on behalf of Australia," he added.