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SMS exchanges between AFP commissioner and PwC 'mate' revealed, as top cop faces questions over conflict of interest – ABC News

SMS exchanges between AFP commissioner and PwC 'mate' revealed, as top cop faces questions over conflict of interest
Text exchanges between Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw and PwC partner Mick Fuller have revealed more extensive conversations between the pair than the commissioner previously suggested to parliament.
Commissioner Kershaw has been challenged on whether he failed to declare a conflict of interest over his friendship with the former New South Wales police commissioner-turned PwC partner, after it was revealed the pair had met several times in relation to a $794,000 contract awarded to the accounting firm without a public tender.
In May, under questioning in Senate estimates, an AFP official said Commissioner Kershaw did not declare a conflict of interest over his friendship with Mr Fuller because despite commissioning the review, he did not do the procurement.
Asked what communication Commissioner Kershaw had with Mr Fuller "since the PwC scandal broke", the commissioner responded he had received "one SMS from Mick".
But text exchanges obtained by Greens senator David Shoebridge show the pair chatting on about a dozen different occasions since the start of this year, when Peter-John Collins was first banned as a tax agent after he shared confidential Treasury briefings to help clients get around a planned multinational tax.
The AFP is now investigating Mr Collins over those allegations.
Senator Shoebridge said he was yet to be assured that the AFP could conduct an independent criminal investigation into a former PwC partner while it maintained contracts with the firm.
Separate to the $794,000 contract to review the AFP's services provided to ACT Policing, the AFP has several contracts for internal auditing services with PwC.
Commissioner Kershaw said in May he had the "utmost confidence" the right systems were in place within the force to avoid a conflict of interest.
Senator Shoebridge said the SMS exchanges between the commissioner and Mr Fuller would be examined when the AFP is recalled for questioning on Friday morning.
"I cannot understand why a conflict of interest hasn't been put in, and these documents only heighten my concerns. And in fact they do it in circumstances where the AFP is still hiding 90 per cent of the material, we got a seriously redacted exchange," Senator Shoebridge said.
"What we can see is it shows a very extensive connection, and one would have thought that the integrity measures in the AFP would require a conflict of interest."
Conversations released under freedom of information laws cover multiple exchanges between January this year and June.
In January, Commissioner Kershaw congratulates and thanks Mr Fuller on an unknown matter, before Mr Fuller replies, "Hopefully when over we can have beer".
In February, on Whatsapp, Mr Fuller comments to the commissioner on an unspecified leak: "What a terrible leak against us and the AFP (hand on head emoji)."
There was no text response from Commissioner Kershaw to that message but Mr Fuller later follows up with "Thanks (prayer hands emoji)".
In late March, the pair joke about a story featuring a close-up photo of Commissioner Kershaw.
Mick Fuller: "I didn't read the story because you look 30. Come one mate your killing the old blokes."
Reece Kershaw: "Haha I have a great photoshop team"
The pair messaged each other on at least nine separate days from January until May 24, when Mr Fuller offers to give the commissioner space so as not to "complicate" his life, following the referral of Mr Collins to police for investigation.
There is one more exchange after that day until June, in which Commissioner Kershaw congratulates Mr Fuller on being awarded an Order of Australia, and Mr Fuller responds: "Thanks commissioner. Appreciate the message".
Commissioner Kershaw is set to face further questioning over the contracts in an additional Senate hearing on Friday.
Senator Shoebridge said the exchanges gave an insight into the extent of the relationship between the commissioner and Mr Fuller.
"When we're talking about the agency that has been tasked with a criminal investigation of PwC, well the public should expect not just justice being done, but justice being seen to be done," Senator Shoebridge said. 
"And that means the highest levels of scrutiny, the highest levels of integrity and I would have thought ensuring that those walls are put in place for the integrity of the investigation."
The AFP declined a request for comment, but has previously told the ABC it "categorically rejects" that Commissioner Kershaw should have declared the relationship.
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