Former ASIO Agent Claims Bondi Shooters Were Flagged Years Before Attack
ABC Four Corners airs explosive claims from ex-undercover agent that intelligence agency was warned about Akram family's extremist links years before the Bondi massacre.
10. Feb. 2026, 05:02
Australia's national broadcaster has aired explosive claims from a former undercover intelligence agent alleging that the country's domestic spy agency was warned about the radicalisation of the Bondi beach attackers years before the December 2024 massacre that killed 15 people ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode....
The ABC's Four Corners program broadcast its investigation, titled Path to Terror, on Monday night despite an extraordinary pre-emptive intervention by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which publicly claimed the episode contained significant errors of fact before it had even aired ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode.... The clash between the public broadcaster and the intelligence agency over the handling of counter-terrorism intelligence has opened a significant fault line in Australia's national security establishment.
The Former Agent's Claims
A former undercover agent identified only as Marcus told Four Corners that during his time working as a radical cleric he provided ASIO with detailed accounts of how Naveed Akram associated with an Islamic State cell in Sydney dating back several years ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach.. Marcus claimed he reported to ASIO that both father Sajid and son Naveed Akram supported Islamic State.
Marcus told the program that Sajid had voiced support for IS when the pair met in 2019, and that after their conversation he considered Sajid more extremist than his son ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach.. The former agent said he was willing to give evidence to a royal commission about his intelligence reports to ASIO.
ASIO's Response
ASIO took the highly unusual step of publicly releasing its response to the ABC's questions before the program aired, describing the claims as unsubstantiated and characterising Marcus as an unreliable and disgruntled source who has since left Australia ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode.... The agency stated that the claims Four Corners made had been investigated at the time and found to be unsubstantiated ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach..
ASIO specifically denied that it received intelligence about Sajid being part of a group that discussed a plan to establish a pro-Islamic State community in Turkiye and that Naveed was a close associate of known terrorists ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode.... The agency warned that if the ABC chose to publish claims it could not substantiate, it would reserve its right to take further action ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode....
Marcus directly disputed ASIO's characterisation, denying that he had ever misidentified Naveed Akram, someone he said he met on a regular, face-to-face basis over many years ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach..
The Intelligence Gap
The investigation centres on a critical assessment made in October 2019 when ASIO evaluated Naveed, then 17, for alleged associations with individuals involved in an Islamic State cell but concluded he was not an ongoing threat ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode.... The ABC reported that as a teenager Naveed associated with members of a terror cell and acolytes of radical cleric Wisam Haddad ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach..
A senior counter-terrorism official with close knowledge of the current investigation told the ABC that Sajid may have already been radicalised when he met with the agency to discuss his son as part of its assessment ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach.. This raises questions about whether ASIO's 2019 evaluation was compromised from the outset.
In the immediate aftermath of the Bondi attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated that something may have gone awry, saying the government needed to examine the way systems work and look back at what happened in 2019 when Naveed was assessed ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode....
Political and Institutional Fallout
ABC managing director Hugh Marks was due to appear before Senate estimates on Tuesday, where ASIO's intervention ahead of the program was expected to be raised ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach.. The ABC confirmed it had not received any contact from ASIO since the broadcast and had received no legal threats ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach..
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said Four Corners had a reputation for reliability and quality journalism but also expressed respect for ASIO director general Mike Burgess, calling the truth of the allegations an open question that the royal commission would be able to examine ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach..
Albanese announced a federal royal commission last month to examine the prevalence of antisemitism, how law enforcement responds to antisemitic threats, the circumstances surrounding the Bondi attack, and strengthening social cohesion ABC airs former Asio agent’s claims that Bondi shooters were radicalised years ago, despite agency’s criticismtheguardian.com·SecondaryFour Corners reported comments by ‘Marcus’ alleging agency was warned Sajid and Naveed Akram supported Islamic State Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here The ABC’s Four Corners has broadcast claims by a former undercover agent that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were showing signs of being radicalised years before they killed 15 people at Bondi beach..
What Comes Next
The confrontation between ASIO and the ABC represents a rare public rupture between two of Australia's most important institutions. The royal commission will now carry the weight of adjudicating competing claims about intelligence failures, with Marcus indicating his willingness to testify under oath. Whether the inquiry can compel the disclosure of classified intelligence assessments will likely determine whether Australians learn the full truth about what was known before the Bondi massacre and why it was not enough to prevent it.
Path to Terror is the second of a two-part Four Corners series on the Bondi attack, following investigative journalist Mark Willacy's minute-by-minute account of how the tragedy unfolded ABC to air Four Corners episode on Bondi terror attack despite Asio claim of ‘significant errors of fact’theguardian.com·SecondaryIntelligence agency takes unusual step of publicly releasing statement and says it will ‘reserve our right to take further action’ if the ABC makes false claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A Four Corners investigation into the secret lives of the alleged Bondi shooters in the lead-up to the nation’s worst terrorist attack will go to air on Monday night despite a preemptive claim by Asio that the episode....
KI-Transparenz
Warum dieser Artikel geschrieben wurde und wie redaktionelle Entscheidungen getroffen wurden.
Warum dieses Thema
The confrontation between Australia's domestic intelligence agency and its public broadcaster over the handling of counter-terrorism information before the nation's worst terrorist attack is a matter of significant public interest. The story raises fundamental questions about intelligence oversight, accountability, and the role of investigative journalism in holding security agencies to account. The upcoming royal commission gives the story ongoing political relevance.
Quellenauswahl
Both signals come from The Guardian Australia, a tier-1 source with established credibility in Australian political and security reporting. The first article covers ASIO's pre-emptive statement before broadcast, while the second provides the post-broadcast account including Marcus's on-air claims and political reactions from Andrew Wilkie. While both signals are from the same outlet, they represent distinct reporting phases — pre-broadcast and post-broadcast — providing complementary coverage. The underlying investigation by Four Corners is well-documented through ABC's own reporting referenced within the Guardian articles.
Redaktionelle Entscheidungen
This article focuses on the clash between ASIO and the ABC over the Four Corners investigation into intelligence failures preceding the Bondi beach attack. The framing centres on the competing claims between the former undercover agent Marcus and ASIO, presenting both sides without adjudicating truth. We excluded detailed biographical information about the Akram family beyond what is directly relevant to the intelligence timeline, and did not speculate on classified operational details. The article contextualises the dispute within the broader political response including the royal commission. Coverage of victims and the attack itself is kept minimal as this has been covered extensively elsewhere.
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Quellen
- 1.theguardian.comSecondary
- 2.theguardian.comSecondary
Redaktionelle Überprüfungen
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• narrative_structure scored 4/3 minimum: The article opens with a clear lede and follows with topical sections (claims, response, intelligence gap, fallout, next steps) that form a logical arc; however the ending is a bit perfunctory and could use a stronger closing that synthesises implications or next milestones. • analytical_value scored 3/2 minimum: The article highlights the key question (whether intelligence failures occurred) and notes the royal commission’s role, but stops short of deeper analysis about why assessments might have erred, structural incentives within ASIO, or potential legal/operational constraints that shape counter‑terror investigations. • filler_and_redundancy scored 4/3 minimum: The draft is concise and largely free of repetitive paragraphs or filler; most sentences add new information, though a couple of sentences repeat the dispute over source credibility without adding fresh detail. • language_and_clarity scored 4/3 minimum: Writing is generally clear and direct, avoids vague political labels, and attributes claims responsibly; a few sentences could be tightened for flow and some quoted characterisations (e.g., "disgruntled source") could be contextualised rather than repeated verbatim from ASIO. Warnings: • [source_diversity] Single-source story — consider adding corroborating sources • [article_quality] depth_and_context scored 3 (borderline): The piece gives essential background (2019 assessment, who said what, royal commission) but lacks deeper historical context about ASIO’s past handling of radicalisation cases, legal constraints on intelligence sharing, or wider community impacts that would explain why the claims matter beyond the immediate dispute. • [article_quality] perspective_diversity scored 3 (borderline): It presents both the former agent’s allegations and ASIO’s rebuttal and includes political reactions, but it relies heavily on ABC reporting and lacks independent expert comment (legal, intelligence oversight, civil liberties) or victim/community perspectives. • [article_quality] publication_readiness scored 4 (borderline): The piece reads like a near‑finished news article with appropriate structure and sourcing markers, but it still feels slightly raw — it would benefit from an authoritative closing line, attribution for the quoted 15 fatalities mention integrated smoothly, and at least one independent expert or oversight comment before publication.
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