Australian Greens have written to Australian Federal Police requesting investigation

The Australian Greens have today written to the Australian Federal Police asking them to investigate if any payments have been made to crews of boats carrying asylum seekers and if so what laws have been violated. An Order to Produce Documents motion will also be moved in the Senate today for the government to release all documents relating to any payments made.

"I have written to the Australian Federal Police today asking them to investigate if the government has violated Australian laws on people trafficking, people smuggling and money laundering," Greens spokesperson for Immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"The allegations must be dealt with immediately and the Greens will use whatever means it can, including the powers of the Senate to force the Government to come clean.

"The Greens will also move an Order to Produce Documents today in the Senate, forcing the Government to reveal what has occurred out on the high seas and whether tax payer funds were spent paying off the crews of asylum seeker boats

"Paying cash bribes to boat crews amounts to people trafficking.  The Government does not have a mandate to break the law or a blank cheque to allow handing over wads of cash in the middle of the ocean.

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