A senior journalist at the ABC has tendered his resignation two months after the public broadcaster’s Media Watch program raised potential conflict-of-interest concerns over a press junket.
Andrew Greene has been the ABC’s defence correspondent for the past 10 years since joining the broadcaster in 2010.
In June, the ABC confirmed it was investigating “serious allegations” that Greene filed a story about a German shipbuilder, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, without disclosing that he had travelled to Germany courtesy of the company, which was hoping to win lucrative Australian navy contracts.
It followed a Media Watch program that revealed Greene filed a story for ABC radio’s The World Today about how business was booming at German shipyards.
The report, which has since been taken down, allegedly failed to disclose that the journalist had been a guest of the defence company.
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As a public broadcaster, the ABC does not generally accept travel paid for by the subject of the report as it could pose a potential conflict of interest.
Staff were informed by the development in an internal email, seen by Guardian Australia, from Canberra bureau chief David Lipson on Monday evening.
“I want to let you know that Andrew Greene has resigned from the ABC,” the email read.
“We thank Andrew for the great contribution he has made to the ABC and to audiences, including his excellent reporting as national security and defence reporter, and wish him all the best.
“The ABC maintains the importance of upholding its editorial and other policies.”
In June, the ABC said the allegations were “serious” and “any such behaviour, if proven, would be unacceptable and could constitute misconduct”.
Greene’s report, aired on 11 June, said “across northern Germany, shipyards are at capacity as military orders ramp up. Rising global strategic tensions mean business is booming”. He had not filed a story since 12 June.
According to Media Watch, the ABC was unaware Greene had travelled to Germany at all. He filed the story when he returned from personal leave.
The same international press junket was taken by the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald’s Matthew Knott, who is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent. Knott’s report disclosed that he “visited Germany courtesy of TKMS [ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems]”.
This month, the Australian government confirmed Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had beaten its German rival to the contract to build Australia’s new fleet of warships, with the Commonwealth to spend $10bn over a decade to buy three Mogami-class frigates.
German firm TKMS – previously branded as ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems – had been considered for the deal, but its Meko A-200 vessel was considered second-best to the Japanese model, including over concerns about the timeline for delivery and putting the ships into service.
Defence correspondents had been keeping a close eye on developments.
The ABC did approve another trip Greene took last year hosted by the Foreign Press Center Japan, which is a privately funded non-profit, and he filed three reports.
A spokesperson for the ABC did not respond to a question over whether Greene’s resignation was related to the Media Watch reports.
Greene was approached for comment.
