Gina Rinehart Defends Ben Roberts-Smith, Criticizes $300M War Crimes Probe

Gina Rinehart issued a scathing defense of Ben Roberts-Smith after his arrest on war crimes charges.

She called Roberts-Smith Australia's most decorated soldier and questioned how it can be justified to spend more than $300 million to bring SAS veterans toward criminal proceedings.

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Rinehart criticized the impact on military morale, saying it has been brought to its lowest ebb since inception while recruitment is suffering.

She argued taxpayer money would have been better spent strengthening security and removing terrorists.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said she will not abandon Roberts-Smith like other politicians.

The $300 million figure became a focal point of the backlash against the war crimes investigation.

Rinehart and other critics framed the expenditure as excessive and wasteful.

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The AFP Commissioner confirmed the investigation into Roberts-Smith was opened in 2021, meaning the $300 million spans multiple investigations of SAS veterans.

Roberts-Smith was arrested and charged with five counts of war crime-murder, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The tension between legal accountability and political cost helped shape the public debate.

High-profile figures lined up either in defense of Roberts-Smith or in support of the investigation.

Rinehart's statement joined those of Pauline Hanson and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Elon Musk weighed in as well.

The case has deeply divided the nation.

Some view Roberts-Smith as a hero, others see his arrest as necessary accountability.