CANBERRA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The head of the Australian Border Force (ABF) has temporarily stepped down from his post amid an investigation into what is currently an undefined external matter.
Local media has reported that ABF chief Roman Quaedvlieg was on leave from his post pending an investigation, and the matter at hand was personal in nature and may be to do with inappropriate behavior in relation to a personal relationship.
On Tuesday, spokesperson for the government's Department of Justice confirmed Quaedvlieg was "on leave," but did not delve into the details of his absence.
"The ABF Commissioner is on leave. A matter is under consideration by appropriate authorities," the brief statement said.
The spokesperson added that the government would not be commenting further "until that process is complete."
Quaedvlieg's absence was first brought to light by former Immigration Department spokesperson Sandi Logan, who was active on Twitter trying to get an explanation as to why Quaedvlieg had not posted to social media account Twitter since late May.
He said the ABF chief's "long absence from duty" had come about due to an "external investigation into his 'activities'," urging journalists to investigate.
Quaedvlieg was appointed to the role when the Australian Border Force was formed two years ago, and is the man responsible for enforcing the government's infamous and tough border protection policies.
