ACIC using its powers to battle terror

TERRORISM suspects and their relatives and friends have been the subject of 69 top-secret interrogations over the past two years.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission conducted the closed coercive hearings between April 1, 2015 and June 27 this year, and sent 268 pieces of intelligence from the hearings to its partner agencies, including state and federal police.

The focus of the interrogations was to identify terrorism suspects and their financial backers here and overseas.

The ACIC has unique coercive powers to compel individuals to provide information.

Those summonsed to the hearings must respond honestly to questions or risk criminal charges and five years in jail.

And people called to the secret hearings are prohibited from telling anyone else, including spouses or close friends, about the proceedings.

ACIC chief executive Chris Dawson said the 268 “intelligence products” passed to police across the country included new leads, briefs, summaries and fact sheets about suspects.

“By working with partners and shining a spotlight on the areas where organised crime and terrorist networks converge, the ACIC is contributing to combating the terrorist threat posed to Australia,” Mr Dawson said.

Federal Parliament is currently reviewing the questioning and detention powers of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in relation to terrorism suspects.