Fired Australian Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg exchanged 14,000 messages with his younger girlfriend in just one year – and staff thought she was his goddaughter.
The woman named Sarah, 25, first met the Mr Quaedvlieg on Twitter before she was given a job with the Border Force, the Courier Mail reported.
Mr Quaedvlieg, 53, was dismissed by Governor-General Peter Cosgrave on Thursday after a lengthy investigation into his behaviour. He denies any wrongdoing.
Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg had been sacked from his $618,908-a-year job as commissioner for ‘inappropriate behaviour’
Mr Quaedvlieg, 53, was dismissed by Governor-General Peter Cosgrave on Thursday after a lengthy investigation into his behaviour
In May, the father-of three went on personal leave from his $619,905 job on full pay after allegations emerged he had helped his girlfriend, in her 20s, secure a job at Sydney Airport stamping passports.
There is a contrast between when the government and Mr Quaedvlieg considered his relationship with Sarah to have begun.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Cabinet Secretary Martin Parkinson are understood to have encouraged Mr Quaedvlieg to resign.
Mr Quaedvlieg said he intends to fight his dismissal either in court or through the Fair Work Commission.
A Statement of Grounds of Termination of Appointment states Mr Quaedvlieg ‘acted at particular times to modify policies relevant to recruitment processes so as to advantage… a particular candidate for ABF employment’.
The statement further stated Mr Quaedvlieg failed to disclose ‘a significant change within his personal life’ and made a ‘willfully or recklessly false statement to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection in relation to the status of his personal relationships’.
Mr Quaedvlieg ‘failed to disclose his relationship with a person who was seeking employment in the ABF in circumstances where Mr Quaedvlieg had an interest in that person securing employment and was in a position to influence the relevant recruitment processes’.
Quaedvlieg said he was given the opportunity to resign but had chosen to be sacked in order to maintain his innocence (pictured with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton)
In a statement, Mr Quaedvlieg maintained his ‘strong denial’ and appeared to be considering fighting the dismissal.
‘I was given a short opportunity to resign prior to my termination however I chose not to do that as it is tantamount to a concession of culpability, which I strenuously deny,’ he said.
‘I also have previously made a number of observations in relation to the inquiry processes and I intend to pursue these more formally in the relevant forums.
‘I will now take some time to fully consider my options.’
The sacking comes after an investigation spanning 10 months, for which Quaedvlieg was reportedly paid more than $500,000.
It was completed by Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary Martin Parkinson and handed to Attorney-General Christian Porter who recommended the Governor General, Peter Cosgrove, dismiss Quaedvlieg.
On Wednesday the decision was signed off on by Federal Executive Council.
Quaedvlieg is a former Queensland police officer. He famously arrested the notorious bank robber ‘Postcard Bandit’ in 1995 while wearing thongs, board shorts and a singlet.
He was previously the chief police officer of ACT Policing, and had been the Commissioner of the Australian Border Force since its creation in 2015.
Pictured: Roman Quaedvlieg’s statement regarding his termination after a 10 month investigation on Thursday