The reporter and the war criminal
The case was dismissed in 2023 in a landmark decision that ruled the defendants had established, on the balance of probabilities, that Ben Roberts-Smith was a war criminal.
It was a triumph for truth and justice for the murdered Afghan civilians, but the case and Roberts-Smith's subsequent failed appeal have left a lasting toll on the men who served alongside the disgraced soldier, and the journalists who told their story.
Guest: Nick McKenzie, Investigative reporter and author of 'Crossing the Line' which has been re-released with exclusive new material on the appeal, the continuing fallout, and the emotional and professional toll of the case.,
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ABC News
22 minutes ago
- ABC News
Outback community continues to look for Gach Top after belongings recovered, police suspend search
Despite authorities suspending their search for a missing 26-year-old, loved ones and volunteers have continued scouring the outback in hopes of finding him. Gach Top has been missing since Monday evening, July 28, with his vehicle found about 14.5 kilometres west of Alice Springs on Tuesday morning. His family said some of Mr Top's belongings were recovered earlier, and that discovery was now guiding search efforts. Over five days, police and emergency services scoured 500 square kilometres of outback landscape looking for any sign of the 26-year-old man. On Saturday evening, authorities suspended their efforts and handed the matter over to NT Police Southern Crime Division for further investigation. Following that decision, the south Sudanese community in Alice Springs — including members of Mr Top's family — called out for volunteers on social media to continue looking. "We understand that the emergency team already did their very best but we feel that, as a community, we want to be a part of that joint effort." On Monday morning, a group of 25 volunteers stood together and prayed at John Flynn's Grave — where Mr Top's car was found — along Larapinta Drive and through rugged terrain, before landing back at the police search site. They made their way along a red dirt road and into the hills, wearing bright coloured clothing with hats and boots. When the volunteers entered the undulating grassy flat, they quickly faded into the landscape — demonstrating how hard it would be to locate a person in this terrain. Mr Top's mother Nyalam Top, translated through Mr Kong, said she hoped God would guide the search for her missing son. She was upset Mr Gach had disappeared at such a young age, soon after she had arrived in Australia. Ms Top thanked the volunteers, media and emergency services for their help and prayed for the search party's protection while scouring the outback. Local Larapinta Trail guide Conrad McKee used his public holiday to assist with the volunteer-led search. "Every set of eyes and ears is good for the cause." Chuol Gai, a family friend and fellow member of the south Sudanese community, also volunteered in the search. He said the community had "come together to go and have a look for themselves". "Maybe we could be lucky to locate him," he said. "We, South Sudanese here in Alice Springs, we are all related to one another and most of us speak the same language." Mr Gai described the missing man as one of the most "brilliant and talented" young people he knew. "To us, [his disappearance] doesn't make sense at all." Another volunteer helping search on Monday, Stephen Biliew, said "police did their job" but Alice Springs locals still wanted to help in any way they could.
News.com.au
32 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Man allegedly linked to Alamedinne family was allegedly owed $270k for alleged murder of underworld figure Bilal Hamze and conspiring to murder Ibrahem Hamze
A man accused of killing an underworld figure and conspiring to murder his brother was allegedly owed more than $200,000 for the jobs and 'bragged' about how well he'd driven a stolen getaway car away from the murder scene, a court has heard. Samuel Rokomaqisa, 35, is standing trial accused of the alleged murder of Bilal Hamze and conspiring to murder Bilal's brother, Ibrahem. He's also accused of the aggravated assault of an elderly man. The prosecution delivered their opening submissions on Monday afternoon, where Crown prosecutor Kate Ratcliffe alleged Mr Rokomaqisa was involved in an enterprise with others to murder Ibrahem Hamze 'as an act of retaliation' by the Alameddine family — an organised criminal network — over a three-week period between July and August in 2021. He was also allegedly in the car in which 10 shots were fired at Bilal Hamze in June 2021. The court was told how Bilal had been dining at the Kid Kyoto restaurant in the heart of Sydney's CBD with a sex worker on the evening of June 17, 2021. A black Audi with imitation plates was spotted circling the area, with Bilal and the sex worker passing by the car after they left the restaurant. A total of 10 shots were fired at Bilal after the pair walked behind the car, with CCTV to show he and the sex worker 'running for their lives', Crown prosecutor Kate Ratcliffe told the court. Dashcam footage from a taxi, shown to the court, appeared to capture a pistol hanging out the front passenger side of the Audi as the events unfolded. '(The sex worker) screamed for help, she called an ambulance … but she soon hung up, being too distressed to talk,' Ms Ratcliffe told the court. Bilal later died in hospital, while the stolen car was found burned out in Northwood. Mr Rokomisqa has entered not guilty pleas to all charges and has denied any involvement in the crimes and to having any links with the Alameddine family. 'That was me, that is what we do': Alleged crim's bragging Mr Rokomaqisa allegedly showed a man, who can only be known as Witness A, news footage of Bilal's murder in the aftermath. 'Witness A will tell you … that when (Mr Rokomaqisa) showed him this news footage … he said to Witness A 'That was me, that is what we do with the cars',' Ms Ratcliffe said. 'Witness A, I anticipate, will also tell you that the accused … because of what he had done for the Alameddine family, he was accepted by them.' Ms Ratcliffe argued the words 'that was me' related to Mr Rokomisqa's alleged involvement in Bilal's murder, while the reference to cars related to the use of cars in criminal offences including murder. The court was told the stolen car was allegedly apart of a criminal scheme across Sydney to affix cars with imitation plates, move the vehicles around between garages, and burn them out when they're done using them. Mr Rokomisqa had also allegedly played a news clip about Bilal's murder to another witness, telling him he was the driver. 'Witness C recalled the accused bragged about being a good driver and how he got away,' Ms Ratcliffe said. ' … The accused said to him he was on a payroll and was paid to be the driver of hits.' Mr Rokomisqa was allegedly heard saying he was linked to 'the shooting and s**t' after a TV segment about the news in prison, and that he was in there together with 'all the Alameddine boys', Ms Ratcliffe told the court. '(I'm) f**king set here lad, they full transferred all the boys…all the Alameddine boys, we're all here together,' Mr Rokomisqa allegedly said while in prison. He also allegedly said he was 'the king now' while in jail, and that he'd been asked whether he was the one 'who knocked Bilal Hamze'. 'Unexplained wealth' Mr Rokomisqa's 'unexplained wealth' is also set to be probed during the trial, with bank records to show unexplained transactions over the relevant period. 'The accused was not earning money through legitimate avenues, and any unexplained wealth was (related to) his involvement in criminal activities on behalf of the Alameddine organised crime network,' Ms Ratcliffe told the court. He had allegedly told his former partner he was owed some $270,000 for the alleged crimes. 'The accused sent her a message (in September) … saying I'm owed $70,000 from just four weeks back, plus another $200,000 for the other thing,' Ms Ratcliffe said. Ms Ratcliffe submitted the 'thing' referred to Bilal Hamze's murder, while the $70,000 was to do with acts relating to the conspiracy to murder his brother Ibrahem. The following day, Mr Rokomisqa was allegedly heard saying 'Bro didn't I prove something to everyone with that job in the city?', which the Crown argued was in reference to Bilal's murder. He had also allegedly told Witness B he was waiting for 'just some c*** to come out' when she asked why he 'kept disappearing' around August 2021. 'The Crown case is that this was a reference to the surveillance of Ibrahem Hamze's unit block, and them waiting in the various cars during their surveillance for Ibrahem Hamze to come out so they could complete the agreement to kill him,' Ms Ratcliffe told the court. Finally, Mr Rokomisqa is accused of using a gun to threaten an elderly man into giving he and another his car after they got a flat tire during a police chase on August 14, 2021. He had allegedly been surveilling Ibrahem Hamze's home before a police chase was launched, later telling his former partner he 'had copped a chase and that they had to dump a car that they had stolen from an old person'.
News.com.au
33 minutes ago
- News.com.au
A wanted man shot by police in Townsville is facing a string of drug offences and assault
A wanted man who was shot by police at a shopping centre near Townsville is facing a string of drug offences, assault and weapons charges. On Sunday July 27, Queensland Police received reports a 29-year-old man from Kelso wanted over alleged serious crimes was spotted walking along Carthew St at Thuringowa Central about 3.16pm. Specialist police arrived and the man was shot during a confrontation at the Willows Shopping Centre. The man was given immediate medical assistance immediately and taken to Townsville University Hospital for treatment. A police spokesman said the man has since been charged with assault, threats, unlawfully possessing weapons, receiving tainted property and multiple drug offences including possessing dangerous drugs, failing to dispose of needles and possessing instructions to produce dangerous drugs. 'The weapons and explosive offences relate to an earlier alleged incident,' a spokesman said. 'The incident on 27 July remains under investigation by the Ethical Standards Command.'
