The department responsible for investigating war crimes has asked the federal anti-corruption commission to probe leaks to the media about the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith.
The Victoria Cross recipient was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
The former SAS soldier has promised to use the upcoming trial to clear his name.
Appearing before a parliamentary budget hearing on Tuesday, the head of the Office of the Special Investigator, said he was surprised the media had knowledge of the arrest of Roberts-Smith.
Chris Moraitis said the war crimes investigator and the Australian Federal Police had written to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate.
"It's matter that concerns me. The media seem to have been privy to things, and therefore we're taking steps to ascertain what happened there," he told the hearing on Tuesday night.
