Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Ian Carnell is investigating reports defence personnel accessed personal information in Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon's office IT systems to determine the extent of his friendship with Chinese-born businesswoman Helen Liu. The department's internal security authority is also conducting an investigation. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said yesterday his agency had not yet been asked to help with either investigation. ''Should such a referral come forward, we will look at it seriously,'' he said.

''At the moment there's no obvious material been placed before us of a criminal offence occurring, so we will wait to see what happens.''

Senior Government ministers have rallied around the beleaguered Defence Minister who was forced to apologise for failing to declare to Parliament that he had taken two trips to China paid for by Ms Liu.

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