04 August 2015

Vetting

The Canberra Times reports "A former Soviet soldier has pleaded guilty to using restricted federal police databases to stalk an ex-girlfriend who left him over his marriage to a Russian woman". Privacy aspects aside, the reporting is interesting for indications of vetting failures at the Australian Federal Police.

In June the CT reported that "A former Australian Federal Police counter-terrorism member managed to hide two foreign passports, a Russian bride with a seemingly forged ID, his chequered past with NSW police, and Bulgarian property interests from his employer, a court has heard." Roman Eiginson reportedly entered Australia in 1991 using a Soviet Union passport, having worked as a soldier and police officer. "He became an Australian Protective Service officer in 2001, and was absorbed into the AFP, where he worked in the counter-terrorism area and, most recently, the treasury section."

 Eiginson attracted attention earlier this year when his now ex-girlfriend accused him of stalking. 
Investigations later revealed that Eiginson had allegedly accessed protected AFP information from a police database to help track down his ex-lover's new partner in an apparent attempt to split them up. He was arrested and charged ... 
The court heard police, upon raiding his house, had found a passport that pictured Eiginson's wife but under a different name. The AFP, who require employees to tell them of relationships with foreign nationals, say they had no knowledge of Eiginson's Russian wife or her potentially fake passport. A federal agent said there were fears that Eiginson himself may be able to get access to fake passports. Police say they have also found a Kazakh passport, a Ukrainian passport, and know of an Australian passport, all in Eiginson's name. 
The AFP said they had no idea about the existence of the Ukrainian passport or the Kazakh passport, which has expired, while Eiginson was employed with them. 
The raid also uncovered NSW police uniforms, and the AFP later found out that Eiginson had been a recruit with NSW police. 
But it emerged he was not offered a spot in the force due to allegations he plagiarised from another student. The AFP, again, was not aware of that information during Eiginson's employment.
Oops

His bail hearing noted
when he was arrested, Mr Eiginson had in his possession a police warrant card and a badge, neither of which items had been issued to him.
The CT goes on to comment
Eiginson, police say, had also neglected to tell the AFP that he was in a de-facto relationship with the ex-partner who has now accused him of stalking. 
He is facing six charges, including stalking, divulging prescribed information, and unauthorised access of prescribed information. 
The court heard a number of "sensitive" investigations are ongoing, and that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection were also looking into the matter.