‘It was my duty’: Whistleblower at centre of ABC raid faces life in jail
The whistleblower at the centre of the federal police raid at the ABC is committed to telling the truth despite facing life imprisonment.
The Australian Federal Police raided the ABC Sydney offices in relation to a story broadcast in 2017 about Australia’s elite special forces in Afghanistan and allegations about the unlawful killing of civilians.
The raid came just a day after the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst’s was searched by the AFP in relation to an unrelated story.
Former Australian military lawyer David McBride is due to appear in the ACT Supreme Court on June 13 after allegedly leaking confidential documents to ABC journalists.
He tells Chris Smith he is facing 50 years in jail but he believes he did the right thing.
“Actually, the best thing that’s ever happened to me was being charged by the police because now the truth is finally going to come out.
“I felt the government had lost any credibility and it was my duty as a citizen to actually stand up against it.
“Come hell or high water, prison sentence or not, I’m just going to tell the truth.”
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