The anti-corruption watchdog has dropped its investigation into Bruce Lehrmann's alleged theft of secret government documents.
asserted
watchdog → drop → documents
Lehrmann and his former media minder John Macgowan had their homes raided by National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) officials in June 2024 amid claims they misappropriated secret documents relating to French submarines.
uncertain
they → have → submarines
Officials were searching for sensitive documents about the now-abandoned submarine project that Lehrmann was accused of stealing from his ex-boss, former defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, in 2019.
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Lehrmann → search → 2019
The raid squad included a sniffer dog, two uniformed NSW Police officers to secure the house and another from the Australian Federal Police.
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squad → include → Police
Lehrmann has continually denied the allegation and launched a civil case against former NACC commissioner Paul Brereton and Labor's federal Special Minister of State Don Farrell over legal costs he incurred during the investigation.
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he → deny → investigation
His blue Moleskine diary was seized in the raid, with NACC claiming it contained some of the 'most sensitive material ever held by the Australian government'.
However, it can now be revealed that the NACC informed Lehrmann and Macgowan on Monday that the investigation has been dropped.
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investigation → seize → Monday
Bruce Lehrmann is pictured outside the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal during a board of inquiry into the handling of his rape trial.
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Lehrmann → picture → trial
He is holding the blue Moleskine diary
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He → hold → diary
The homes of Bruce Lehrmann (right) and his former media minder John Macgowan (left) were raided by the National Anti-Corruption Commission
'
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homes → raid → Commission
I am writing to inform you that the former Commissioner decided to take no further action concerning the investigation,' the NACC letter read.
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letter → write → investigation
'This means that the investigation into that matter has now come to an end.'
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investigation → mean → end
'I confirm that you are now released from any further requirement to attend a hearing under the summons dated 12 September 2024.'
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you → confirm → summons
In a statement, Lehrmann slammed the investigation as a 'colossal waste of taxpayer money' and called for the NACC to be abolished.
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NACC → slam → money
'Over two years, the former commissioner used his powers to personally advance a conspiracy that I was a spy and a traitor to the nation, selling defence secrets to foreign countries,' he said.
'
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he → use → countries
My close friend John Macgowan has also been deeply affected by this.
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friend → affect → this
The NACC needs to be abolished and replaced with nothing.'
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NACC → need → nothing
Claims about the French submarine contracts were first advanced during Lehrmann's rape trial in the ACT Supreme Court in 2022.
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Claims → advance → 2022
Brittany Higgins is pictured at a Canberra pub with Lehrmann (next to Higgins, in a light blue shirt) before they went back to Parliament House
Bruce Lehrmann is pictured with Brittany Higgins and a Parliament House security guard in March 2019 – the night Justice Lee found, on the balance of probabilities, he assaulted Higgins, and allegedly stole submarine documents
Both agree that they went back to Parliament House together in the early hours of the morning.
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they → picture → morning
Higgins said he raped her.
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he → say → her
Lehrmann said he made notes on Question Time briefs about French submarine contracts and went home.
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he → say → contracts
The criminal case was eventually abandoned due to misconduct by a juror.
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case → abandon → juror
The contracts came up again during Lehrmann's defamation trial against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson in 2023, when he told the Federal Court he was working on Question Time briefs rather than raping Higgins.
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he → come → Higgins
However, Justice Lee found that, on the balance of probabilities, Lehrmann did rape Higgins and dismissed the French submarine argument.
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Lehrmann → find → argument
'Common sense suggests that it is obvious there was one dominant thought running through the mind of Mr Lehrmann as he was approaching Parliament House, and it was nothing to do with French submarine contracts,' the judgement read.
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judgement → suggest → contracts
That finding was upheld by the Full Federal Court and then by the High Court.
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finding → uphold → Court
Lehrmann has always denied raping Higgins.
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Lehrmann → deny → Higgins
Daily Mail has contacted the NACC for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
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