Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describes criminal charges against two men, including a former Ernst & Young graduate, as appropriate after the alleged access of his private banking details. He says he is alarmed by claims that the pair breached his confidentiality while one was working at Commonwealth Bank on an EY consulting placement.
Albanese says contractor access to sensitive financial information can put ordinary Australians at risk, not just public figures.
Authorities have charged two men, aged 21 and 25, after an investigation into alleged unauthorised access to the prime minister’s account information.
The younger man was an EY graduate employee, seconded to Commonwealth Bank as part of a consulting project when the alleged breach occurred. Their alleged actions came to light through reporting by The Australian Financial Review, prompting scrutiny of privacy protections across banking and consulting arrangements.
Albanese tells national television he will not go into further detail because the matter is now before the courts and subject to legal process. He stresses that any improper intrusion into Australians’ financial records is unacceptable, whether the target is a political leader or an everyday customer.
The incident has focused attention on how much access external consultants and contractors have to bank systems and how tightly that access is monitored.
