Pedophile:... William Stuart Brown

The Federal Government suppressed the details of pedophile allegations against former official William Brown seven years ago, claiming they could prejudice his "legitimate right to maintain an unblemished reputation in the community".

In a court case, the Government's aid agency, AusAid, admitted the allegations involved reports of sex parties while Mr Brown was posted in Jakarta. But the Government argued it was not its business to "investigate allegations concerning Mr Brown's private life".

It claimed that Mr Brown was urgently recalled to Australia in 1984 not because of the allegations, but due to the risk to his safety following their publication in a local newspaper.

While the court case was proceeding, Mr Brown was living on the island of Lombok with notorious pedophile Robert "Dolly" Dunn. This month, Mr Brown was arrested in Bali for allegedly having sex with two boys, aged 13 and 15.

Yesterday The Age reported that Mr Brown's government file was marked "never to be posted overseas" after his recall from Jakarta, where he worked as an aid official between 1982 and 1984. It was during this time that he allegedly held homosexual parties and concerns were raised about boys visiting his home.

A 1996 application from a concerned colleague to have the Government's files on the allegations released under Freedom of Information was opposed.

AusAid deputy director general Peter McCawley told an Administrative Appeals Tribunal hearing that revealing the allegations could ruin Mr Brown's reputation and there were "no countervailing public interest factors in favour of release".

A ruling by senior tribunal member Peter Bayne said there was a public interest argument in favour of releasing the files, as they raised serious concerns about the actions of an Embassy officer and how the Government dealt with that official.

Mr Bayne also attacked AusAid's claim that as Mr Brown was "a relatively junior officer" it was not its business to investigate claims about his private life. But, as the claims were not proved, Mr Bayne supported the withholding of the documents.

An AusAid spokeswoman said the tribunal had agreed with its stance and that the files on the 1984 allegations against Mr Brown were handed to police in 1996. AusAid said it would handle the case differently today.

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