José Ramos-Horta accuses Alexander Downer of ‘distorting’ issues around 2004 Timor-Leste bugging

Exclusive: President of south-east Asian nation says Australia used cover of supposedly altruistic foreign aid program' to spy on behalf of oil companies

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The president of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta, has accused former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer of avoiding and distorting" the issues around the 2004 bugging scandal, saying recent comments ignored the fact that Australia had spied on behalf of oil companies and using the cover of Australia's supposedly altruistic foreign aid program".

On Thursday, Downer appeared on the ABC's Q&A program and was questioned about the 2004 Australian Secret Intelligence Service mission to bug Timor-Leste's government during sensitive talks to carve up oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.