The Punch has now closed a piece it published during the Utegate affair involving Paul Lindwall, a former senior member of Malcom Turnbull’s team.
I also want to apologise to Mr Lindwall for any embarrassment or distress the piece caused him. The background is as follows: on the Monday after Treasury official Godwin Grech gave what is now acknowledged as confected testimony to the Senate hearing on the Utegate affair, there was much speculation as to what the subsequent AFP investigation would unearth.
I was told by several sources that the AFP wanted to establish who in Mr Turnbull’s office had been talking to Godwin Grech, and Mr Lindwall was named as that person.
We ran the piece to that effect, without naming Mr Lindwall. Once I had spoken to him - when he told me he had no knowledge of any AFP interest in him - I amended the piece and named him as I was still being told by others that the AFP would be doing that.
Mr Lindwall has since told me that he has not been contacted at all by the AFP.
At no stage did our piece suggest any wrongdoing on his part. But as the AFP has not spoken to him my story as it stands is wrong. It is now closed and I apologise.
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