Australian Federal Police officers were ordered to downplay the threat to three undercover cops — whose secret lives infiltrating global organised crime gangs had been exposed — in order to cut potential compensation costs, it has been alleged in explosive claims aired in Federal Parliament.

In a late-night address to the Senate, it has been revealed a now former AFP assistant commissioner confirmed to the undercover agents there was a direction “at the highest level” in the police force to minimise the seriousness of the threat to reduce any financial payouts.

Describing the plight of the undercover cops — who remain in hiding, fearful of retribution from the mobsters they tricked — Greens justice spokesman Senator David Shoebridge said the AFP and the Albanese Government had abandoned the three officers who had achieved what the AFP itself described as an “unprecedented level of infiltration” into criminal syndicates historically resistant to covert penetration.

The undercover agents worked for years on several dangerous organised crime groups.

When their cover was believed to be blown, they fled their covert positions asking the AFP for overseas relocation for protection for themselves and their families.

But their cries for help, they believed, were not taken as seriously as they should have been.

Although there was an initial assessment of an “expected threat” against them, it was suddenly downgraded to a “possible” threat without any apparent change in circumstances and the AFP refused to relocate them overseas.

The undercover police officers complained about the alleged “deliberate” downgrade.

The downgrade ultimately minimised the threat by removing the actors and organisations seen as a danger and used questionable methodology.

The revision sparked a professional standards criminal investigation into the conduct of the police decision-makers.

Senator Shoebridge revealed in Parliament the professional standards criminal investigation involved six AFP executive and senior executive decision makers.

He told the Senate the former undercover cops were told by the investigators they were confident that there would be criminal charges laid against at least two or three of the officers and, even if the matter was treated administratively, the misconduct was sufficiently serious that those involved could lose their jobs.

But the inquiry itself was then downgraded to an “administrative” inquiry — and only two of the six officers had substantial findings against them.

Senator Shoebridge said one officer was still working for the AFP on active duty and the other had advised people he was “able to retire”.

He said they were told findings could not be made against the senior executives accused because of an evidentiary hurdle known as the Briginshaw principle which demands a higher standard of proof for serious allegations.

“In this case they abused that principle to say a higher degree of proof was required to make adverse findings against senior AFP members.

“That’s the club all over,” Senator Shoebridge said.

He said he was putting the details on the record at the request of the undercover officers to “break through the wall of silence”.

Senator Shoebridge revealed that the AFP Association acting on behalf of the officers had taken the step of using its workplace entry powers to gain access to AFP to get information about the down graded threat assessment.

He said it had come to light that when the officers requested urgent offshore relocation with their families the AFP instead offered to move the officers alone, without their families, to another Australian State, telling them the move was for their “anxiety” and was not safety related.

But Senator Shoebridge said a subsequent Freedom of Information release contradicted that explanation.

The FOI revealed AFP had told the workers’ compensation authority, Comcare, that the relocation was in fact prompted by safety concerns — the opposite of what the officers had been told.

He said that regardless of all the acknowledgements of threats and identified misconduct the AFP, and the Minister Tony Burke had continued to ignore the serious safety environment the officers and their families continue to live in.

“The Commonwealth has been served with legal proceedings to try and achieve some justice for these AFP officers. Minister Burke is aware of this and has done nothing,” Senator Shoebridge said.

An AFP spokeswoman said no member of the AFP’s undercover program has been physically harmed or killed because they have been identified by organised crime figures.

She also said the AFP has engaged extensively with the individuals concerned, their legal representatives, and representative bodies over an extended period.

“The AFP has conducted multiple assessments, implemented security measures where appropriate, and continues to consider any new information brought to its attention,” the spokeswoman said.

“The AFP is confident that all complaints from these members have been given due consideration by the relevant entity or area including the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the AFP Professional Standards Command.”