Ben Roberts-Smith rejects 60 Minutes report

Ben Roberts-Smith has issued a statement following allegations aired on 60 Minutes last night, which precede a defamation case beginning in June against Nine:

Mr Roberts-Smith has grave concerns as to whether the broadcast this evening by Nine is an attempt to intimidate him into not proceeding with his case against Mr McKenzie and Nine.

Mr McKenzie and Nine are currently Respondents to defamation proceedings in the Federal Court. These allegations are not supported by any evidence filed by Mr McKenzie and Nine in what has been an extensive pre-trial process. Mr McKenzie has chosen not to give evidence in support of the allegations he has made against Mr Roberts-Smith repeatedly over the past three years.

The allegations aired this evening are baseless. These allegations are not supported by any evidence filed by Mr McKenzie and Nine in what has been an extensive pre-trial process. These allegations were not put to Mr Roberts-Smith prior to being broadcast on 60 Minutes and published in the Nine newspapers.

Had Mr McKenzie or Nine wished to engage in impartial or objective journalism, they would have sought Mr Roberts-Smith’s comment on the so called “shameful” allegations which Mr McKenzie asserted had been the subject of a ‘major and deep investigation’.

Mr Roberts-Smith denies that he has engaged in any unlawful conduct and he will not be intimidated by Mr McKenzie or Nine into not continuing with the Federal Court proceedings against them.

Roberts-Smith is Seven Queensland general manager.