DFAT launches investigation

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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade knew about the detention of Ben Allen aka Ben Alon aka Ben Zygier…and Foreign Minister Carr has called on his department secretary to launch an investigation.

A spokesman for Foreign Minister Bob Carr said: “DFAT had initially advised that it was unaware of Mr Allen’s detention in Israel.

Prisoner X ABC screengrab

“DFAT has now advised that some officers of the Department were made aware of Mr Allen’s detention at the time in 2010 by another Australian agency.

“Minister Carr has asked Department Secretary, Mr Peter Varghese, to review the handling of this consular case.”

Melbourne-raised Ben Zygier died in mysterious circumstances in Israel in December 2010 and an ABC investigation strongly hints that he was “Prisoner X”…a man held in the Ayalon Prison in Ramla where he allegedly took his own life. He used several aliases including Ben Allen,

Yesterday J-Wire published a statement from a spokesman for Foreign Minister Carr stating that the first time the Government became aware of Zygier was after his death when the family requested assistance in bringing his body to Australia for delivery.

The gag on media in Israel was partially lifted yesterday and it was revealed that Zygier’s family was aware of his incarceration and that two Israeli lawyers had worked on the mysterious case. Most information relating to the case is still under wraps.