On 23 January 2013, Major General, Prof.Dr Nguyen Xuan Yem, Director of
the PPA worked with Colonel Richard Terry, former head of the liaison officer
of the Australian Federal Police’s Office (AFP) and welcomed Commander
Christopher McDevitt, new senior liaison of the office.
At the working session, the Director of the PPA
emphasized the important role of the AFP’s office in Hanoi in establishing partnerships between
the PPA and the Australian Federal Police as well as training centers for Australian
law enforcement forces. To emphasize the positive role of Colonel Richard
Terry, former head of the liaison officer of the AFP’s office in Hanoi in the last term,
Major General Nguyen Xuan Yem hope that through this meeting on introducing his
successor, Commander Christopher McDevitt, will maintain and promote the
relationship between the two sides in the future.
Colonel Richard Terry has joined in the AFP
since 1985; during the work, he has assumed the role of the police attaché in Cyprus, Thailand,
New Guinea and Vietnam. From
2009, Colonel Richard Terry, a former head of the National Organized-Crime
Prevention Department, began work as head of the AFP’s Office in Hanoi. During working in Vietnam, Colonel Richard
Terry has had many achievements and significant contribution in the development
of cooperative relationships between the AFP and the Ministry of Public
Security of Vietnam, especially with the Police General Department for
Investigation of Social Order-Related Crimes in fighting against transnational crime;
contributed to proposing program on training and developing capacity for Vietnamese police officers of Ministry of
Public Security through the way of attending the program, conferences,
professional training course abroad; coordinated positively with the Police Department for
Investigation of Social Order-Related Crimes in establishing and putting into effective
operation the Australian-Vietnam Joint Transnational Crime Center (JTCC) at Ho
Chi Minh city and so on. In addition, He contributed on many areas of
cooperation such as exchanging visiting delegation, providing professional
equipment as well as visiting and encouraging police who gained achievement in
fighting crime between the AFP and the Ministry of Public Security. In working
term in Vietnam,
Colonel Richard Terry has contributed positively to the development of
cooperation between the AFP and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam,
especially with the General Department VI in fighting transnational crime. On April
6th, 2012, the Minister of Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam
signed Decision No. 1548/QD-BCA awarding a “Medal on Protection for Social
Security and Order” for Colonel Richard Terry.
In an atmosphere of friendship and openness,
Major General Nguyen Xuan Yem congratulated on the successes and contributions
of Colonel Richard Terry and his colleagues in the past term. The Director also
thanked the cooperation and assistance of the AFP in general and Colonel Richard
Terry in particular in promoting and developing cooperative relationship between
the two countries' police forces, especially in the areas of education and
police training in past time.
Recently, Colonel Richard actively assisted
the PPA and coordinated with other related units in lobbying the Australian
Government for supporting establishment of the Police Training
Center for High-Tech Crime
Prevention in Asia-Pacific region located in the PPA.
To acknowledge the contributions of Colonel
Richard Terry for the education and training of the PPA, Major General Nguyen
Xuan Yem had invited him to visit and plant a commemorative tree on the campus
of the Academy before leaving Vietnam
to Australia.
Also, at
his meeting, Major General Nguyen Xuan Yem worked with Commander Christopher
McDevitt, as a new head of the liaison officers of the AFP’s Office in Hanoi. The Director believed
that friendly cooperation between the AFP and the PPA will continue to be
mutually cultivated, deepened, increasing the quality and efficiency; ensuring
stability, security and peace in the region and internationally.
Mr McDevitt is currently the Commander in charge
of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Special References portfolio which is
responsible for the more complex, protracted and politically sensitive
investigations encompassing foreign bribery, high level corruption, war crimes,
espionage and even whaling and Patagonian tooth illegal fishing matters. He
also manages the AFP's multi-jurisdictional Human Trafficking Teams and the
Identity Security Strike teams.
Prior to his current appointment, Mr McDevitt was the Manager, Intelligence
Services primarily responsible for the AFP's strategic and executive
intelligence services. He was also the AFP's representative on the
Whole-of-Government National Intelligence Collection Management Committee. He
has served as the AFP's National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism, Domestic
Operations, co-managing Australia's
multi-agency, Joint Counter Terrorism Teams, and has served internationally as
the AFP’s Senior Liaison Officer to London
managing Australia's law
enforcement interests within the UK,
Ireland, France, Spain,
and Portugal.
He was also the UN Deputy Commander in East Timor and the former Officer in
Charge of the Criminal Investigation Branch located in Canberra, Australia.
Mr McDevitt is a graduate of the FBI National Academy
(203rdsession), Leadership in Counter Terrorism (Atlantic)
Program, and 17th Management of Serious Crime Course. |
Translated by Luong Thanh Hai - Gia Linh