Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gets frustrated before taping an interview and drops the f-bomb.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd in his famous YouTube video Source: Supplied
KEVIN RUDD has revealed he released hundreds of pages of documents relating to his complaints over the federal police investigation Operation Mesco into who leaked his expletive-laden video.
In a bizarre development, Mr Rudd has confirmed he lodged a freedom of information request into his own correspondence with the Federal Police, before releasing hundreds of pages of correspondence relating to "Operation Mesco'' this week to the media.
Letters: Operation Mesco letters through FOI
The documents relate to his complaints the investigation had concluded without key staff being interviewed.
The new documents include records of interview with a staffer in Families Minister Jenny Macklin's office denying involvement in the theft or distribution of the video, details of a search of the Prime Minister's office and the findings of a search warrant executed on Sydney Morning Herald computers after an anonymous tip-off regarding the leaked footage.
A senior departmental official also writes in an email that after she told Mr Rudd the case would not proceed, "the victim indicated considerable frustration ... may consider a complaint to the Attorney (Nicola Roxon) or others".
This week, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald stated that "Freedom of Information documents obtained by Fairfax Media'' revealed the Attorney-General's Department had never asked the US Department of Justice to require YouTube to reveal the details of the user, "HappyvegemiteKR", who posted the leaked video.
It has emerged however that the FOI request was in fact lodged by Mr Rudd's office, who had access to the letters all along because the former prime minister wrote them.
Despite the publication, the Attorney-General's department is now refusing to provide the same documents to other media outlets on the grounds they could jeopardise an ongoing investigation.
In response, Mr Rudd confirmed he lodged the FOI request himself and offered to provide all the documents to News Limited.
"Mr Rudd has said on many occasions that the leaking of this video was of great concern as it related to possible criminal acts and the security of documents and information held by the government,'' a spokesman said.
"Mr Rudd's office has agreed to multiple FOI consultations seeking full access to these and many other documents and will continue to do so.
"Mr Rudd also requested through FOI all documents relating to the AFP investigation and the assistance of the Attorney General's department to assist in responding to a number of queries from journalists.''
Mr Rudd said today his interest was seeing justice done.
"The bottom line is that this was a significant event in Australian politics, it involved the theft of Commonwealth property in the documents I have FOI'd from both the Federal Police and the Attorney-General's department their conclusion is that a crime against the Commonwealth Crimes Act has been committed and this involved the theft of Commonwealth property," Mr Rudd said.
"That is a serious matter and we should get to the bottom of it."
Rudd supporters maintain the video was leaked within hours of the Prime Minister's office learning that News Ltd planned to publish comments from Labor MP Darren Cheesman calling for Julia Gillard to resign as PM.
They argue the video was a "shock-and-awe'' tactic by the Gillard camp.
Gillard supporters have long complained Mr Rudd has used the police investigation into the leaked video to stir the leadership pot in Labor ranks.
In his November 16 letter to Australian Federal Police commissioner Tony Negus, Mr Rudd writes: "I take these offences seriously. They do not constitute a trivial matter."
Email Samantha Maiden
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