ABC Online A former intelligence officer says there is no way the Federal Government would not have known about kickbacks paid by the AWB to Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
The ongoing Cole inquiry is investigating allegations Australia's wheat exporter paid almost $300 million in kickbacks to the Iraqi Government under the UN's oil-for-food program.
Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer and Trade Minister Mark Vaile have repeatedly denied knowledge of the alleged payments.
Warren Reed, who worked for Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIO) for 10 years including in Asia and the Middle East, has told the ABC's Asia Pacific program that the Government must have known.
"Absolutely impossible that they didn't know," he said.
"In fact, if you look at the core part of the governmental system in Canberra, Foreign Affairs, Defence, even eavesdropping, the whole intelligence apparatus, that's geared to knowing these things.
"And if they didn't know, and they weren't charged specifically by ministers in the government with knowing, people like Mark Vaile, the Prime Minister and Alexander Downer, then they should be shot at dawn."
Mr Reed says it has been standard practice for large Australian firms to pay kickbacks overseas.
"Particularly Mr Downer, who's in charge of our foreign intelligence services, the Government has an obligation, a very clear one, to police that situation so that Australia does not end up in this very messy public situation, so the Government did know," he said.
"And really, I would defy the Prime Minister on oath to say he'd never heard anything about it, he had no knowledge that this could occur."
Dave R.
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