COUNTER-ESPIONAGE AGENTS HELPED PETROV TO DEFECT

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27452, 11 September 1954, Page 7

COUNTER-ESPIONAGE AGENTS HELPED PETROV TO DEFECT

(Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 10. A man who posed as a Communist supporter but who was acting for the Australian Security Service, today gave evidence to the Royal Commission on Espionage about his part in persuading Vladimir Petrov to seek political asylum in Australia. The man, Dr. Michael Bialoguski, told the commission that both Petrov a.id his wife had seriously considered committing suicide five months before Petrov decided to defect.

He said Petrov told him his wife had-been released from her duties in the Embassy, and he was worried about what was going to happen to him. Petrov had said this had happened after various meetings at the Soviet Embassy in Canberra, where he and his wife had taken a stand against the Ambassador. Petrov also said that he and bis wife were quite serious about their thoughts on committing suicide as they felt their position was very grave inBialoguski saia Petrov told him that another Sydney doctor, Halley Charles Beckett, who was also a supposed proCommunist working with the Security Service, had suggested that he should remain in Australia, as the Czech Consul had done. He said he had told Petrov he had had some success with oil shares and was considering purchasing a poultry farm, in which Petrov could be of great assistance to him. Late last year he took Petrov to a poultry farm on the outskirts of Sydney and Petrov, using the name Peter Karpich, had naid £5O as a deposit. Bialoguski said he had obtained money for that purpose from the Security Service. About that time, the Petrovs had begun to criticise the Soviet Premier (Mr Malenkov) and call him “quite some names.” Petrov had said Mr Malenkov was living in luxury while the Russian people were suffering. He had referred to a newspaper article and said it did not give an accurate nicture of what conditions were like in Russia. The true picture was much worse.

Mrs Petrov’s Attitude When he sounded out Mrs Petrov about staying in Australia last Janu-\ ary, she said she still believed in the Soviet system, although there were certain shortcomings, Bialoguski said. She also was concerned about her relatives in the Soviet. Bialoguski said she had rebuked him for suggesting she should stay, as she thought he was a Soviet sympathiser. She also said she had been treated unjustly at the Embassy by the Ambassador and the Ambassador’s wife. The other women were, according to Mrs Petrov, jealous of her manner and how she dressed. She thought that was the reason why they plotted and intrigued against her in the Embassy. On February 19, he told Petrov that he felt it was the proper time for him to get in touch with the official that Dr. Beckett knew. He assured Petrov that the officer would be in a position to give him assurances on behalf of the Federal Government. Petrov agreed to ask Dr. Beckett to put him in touch with the Security officer. Bialoguski said. “I told Petrov that he would be exposed to danger and I would be in a dangerous position. too. We had to be assured of protection beforehand because it would involve us both in a very dangerous situation.” To Mr W. J. V. Windeyer, counsel assisting the commission, Bialoguski said he had informed the security organisation that Petrov had decided to stay, subject to his being assured of nrotection and some assistance to help him to establish himself in Australia without being compelled to work as ian unskilled labourer.

He said that on Petrov’s arrival in Sydney on April 2, he telephoned him and Petrov came to his flat. Petrov said he was not going back to Canberra because he had had some unpleasant experiences in the Embassy. He said a cipher clerk, who had inspected his desk in his absence, had found a document which should not have been there. That alone, said Petrov, was enough for him to suffer very serious consequences. Petrov also said that something had been found in the desk used by the diplomatic attache at the Embassy. Petrov said that the attache was perturbed about the matter. Bialoguski said he found papers in Petrov’s wallet referring to Mrs Ollier, who is to be tried in France for a breach of security. Bialoguski said he had looked through the wallet when Petrov was asleep in his flat. “I remember going through all his pockets and the contents of his wallet while he was sleeping, and I would take the contents of one pocket at a time to my bedroom, copy what I could, return them, and go on to the next pocket," said Bialoguski. Letter to Mrs Ollier In Petrov’s wallet, he found a piece of paper on which was written a letter starting with these words: “Dear Mrs Ollier, I hope that you will assist me as you did in the past.” He could not remember the full contents of the letter, but he had copied it at the time and it was in the security file. He had the impression that the letter addressed to Mrs Ollier was a draft, written in English, of a letter which had not been posted. In Petrov’s wallet, he also found a number of small papers with addresses, names, and telephone numbers. He made a copy of each piece of paper and handed it over.

Mr Windeyer asked Bialoguski if he had ever been approached by any person and asked to give evidence at the Royal Commission to the effect that Petrov was a drunkard.

Bialoguski: Yes. I was approached by a man named John Rogers. He was from Melbourne and I had known him before. He approached me shortly after the news of Petrov’s defection became public. Mr Justice Owen: That is the man we were told was connected with Aus-tralia-Soviet House in Melbourne? — Yes.

Bialoguski said Rogers knew he was a close acquaintance of Petrov. ‘‘He attempted to sound me out on the action of Petrov. He asked me whether I would be called before the commission. I said I did not know, but I hoped I would not be called.” Mr Windeyer: Rogers did not know of your part in the proceedings?—No. Rogers said I would be implicated if called before the commission. I would be implicated by witnesses called before the commission. Therefore. I must be prepared at some stage to give evidence. He said that I had two avenues open before me—one was to assist Petrov and the commission, in which case my reputation would be ruined. He said I would be much better to assist him and his friends. He said that every consideration would be given to me if I assisted him and his friends. Bialoguski said he left Europe to come to Australia because he neglected to apply for Soviet citizenship. Mr Justice Owen: Your compatriots in Australia will realise now what your true position is?—Yes. Mr Windeyer: Is it your attitude to the Russian system which is the motive for helping the Australian espionage service?—Partly. Not so much my attitude to the Russian system as my attitude to the attempt to enforce the system on other countries.