Sarah Whyte Immigration correspondent October 8, 2014

EXCLUSIVE

Under investigation: Immigration Minister Scott Morrison. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The Australian Federal Police has been asked to investigate Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and his staff for leaking details of a confidential internal security report from Nauru to a journalist.

It was reported in News Corp publications on Friday that internal Transfield security documents from the offshore processing centre in Nauru revealed that it was "probable" that Save the Children staff were encouraging asylum seekers to self harm.

Fairfax Media understands that select paragraphs from the confidential report were provided to the journalist.

Sarah Hanson-Young: The Greens senator said that immigration information was being leaked at "suspiciously convenient times". Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The article also reported Mr Morrison had ordered 10 Save the Children staff to be removed from the island under Section 70 of the Crimes Act for alleged misuse of privileged information. This prohibits any person employed by the Commonwealth to send information to a non-government officer.

Greens senator and immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young has written to the AFP to say Mr Morrison's staff may have contravened the same section of the Crimes Act by providing select confidential information to a journalist.

The AFP confirmed it had received the complaint. "We will evaluate this referral as per usual process," an AFP spokeswoman said. "While this process is ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment further."

The News Corp article "Truth Overboard" and a subsequent media conference on Friday by Mr Morrison came only days after serious allegations of sexual abuse against women and children were made by asylum seekers on the small island.

Mr Morrison used the news conference to launch an independent investigation into both issues, saying he did not want the public to be "played by mugs with allegations being used as some sort of political tactic".

But the director of policy and public affairs of Save the Children, Mat Tinkler, said the non-government organisation still had not been provided with the report alleging staff were "coaching and encouraging" asylum seekers to protest and self harm, questioning why the media have been.

"Our staff are on Nauru because they care and deeply concerned when they then have their integrity questioned through the media. They are upset and anxious," he said.

"As with all of the allegations, we have very little information, we have no information about the report."

Mr Tinkler said four staff members had already left the island when the allegations were made and that the NGO was standing by all accused staff.

"I am concerned about the way this information has come to light, from a so-called intelligence report that has been provided to another media outlet which has clouded reality," he said.

Mr Tinkler also said he was "not surprised" by the allegations of abuse.

"Instances of self harm have been documented on Nauru. The allegations have been substantiated," he said.

In a letter to the AFP, Ms Hanson-Young has requested an investigation into the immigration department where "information has been published and communicated to non-commonwealth officers without authorisation".

"Information seems to be leaking from the office of the minister and his department at suspiciously convenient times," Ms Hanson-Young told Fairfax Media. "Disclosing privileged information is a serious breach of the Crimes Act and I've asked the AFP to get to the bottom of what's going on.

"If the minister's office has been involved in a breach of the Crimes Act, I expect the full force of the law to be applied."

A spokeswoman for Mr Morrison said: "I will refer you to the AFP."

But in an interview with Ray Hadley on Tuesday, Mr Morrison described the allegations of coaching asylum seekers to self harm and the sexual abuse of children and adults as "abhorrent".

To which Mr Hadley replied: "The sexual assault of children in any circumstances is abhorrent but people making false allegations against security men is not quite equally abhorrent but, by gee, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth."

AFP asked to investigate Immigration Minister Scott Morrison over alleged leak