With reference to assistance to Securency provided by Austrade:

(1)   Has Austrade or any of its overseas trade commissioners ever helped arrange travel, accommodation, visa applications and other expenses for foreign government or central bank officials as part of assistance provided to Securency; if so, can a list be provided outlining: (a) to which countries this assistance applied; (b) when it took place; and (c) to which countries the officials were travelling.

(2)   Did the Austrade officers involved in arranging this assistance to Securency make efforts to ensure they were not breaching Australian law on bribery of foreign officials when arranging or helping finance travel, accommodation, visa and other expenses for central bank, government and other officials that Securency was seeking to impress.

(3)   Has Austrade ever helped source visas from the United States of America for foreign officials to who Securency was trying to sell its banknote products; if so, what was the country or countries of origin of these officials.

(4)   Did Austrade help finance or arrange travel for Securency’s Vietnam agent Mr Anh Ngoc Luong to travel overseas in regards to Securency’s business affairs; if so, when.

(5)   When did Austrade learn that Mr Luong was regarded as a likely officer in the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam.

(6)   When did Austrade pass this information about Mr Luong’s likely official role in the Vietnamese government on to Securency.

(1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is undertaking an ongoing police investigation.  The AFP has requested Austrade not to provide the information sought at this time in order to protect the integrity of that investigation.