AFP involved in "fake" Rudd email

Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull's accusations against Prime Minister Rudd on certain matters pertaining to a car dealer friend, has been redirected to involve an alleged "fake email" from the Prime Minister.

In a statement to the media, Prime Minister Rudd said "Turnbull's allegations are based on the existence of an alleged email between a staff member of mine and a Treasury official on the 19th of February".

Turnbull claimed he was "in possession of this documentary evidence when he threatened a member of my staff at the Press Gallery Ball on Wednesday night".

Furthermore his Senate representatives purported to quote from this documentary evidence in the Senate Inquiry on Friday.

"In addition, both the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian newspapers today have reported, the Federal Opposition has claimed to them they are in possession of the email or have read the email," stated Rudd.

"Yet this morning Turnbull, remarkably, states as follows; 'Well the email itself, the existence of the email, I don't have a copy of the email, I hasten to add, I do not have a copy of the email. So the email is presumably in the possession of those people between whom it passed. Mr Lewis has an account of it and that was not provided to him by us,' unquote."

So serious is Rudd on the whole affair, that his office has "conducted extensive searches on Dr Charlton's emails and computer system - and has found nothing".

"Following yesterday's Senate Committee hearing and following an allegation last night by Steve Lewis, who I am advised claims he is in possession of an email from Dr Charlton to the public servant in question, dated 19 February, we requested both the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Treasury search both Dr Charlton's computer system and the computer system of the public servant," he said.

"The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet's IT department has advised us that no such correspondence can be found on Dr Charlton's computer system - either for that date or the dates preceding and following it.

The Department undertook a "search of all of the emails in the Prime Minister and Cabinet's email system for the period 16 February '09 to 22 February '09".

This search includes all "emails from and to Mr Charlton and would've included any material deleted from the system.' Any material deleted from the system".

The Secretary of the Attorney General's Department has  referred the matter of this alleged fake email to the Australian Federal Police.

The Department has advised Rudd that if "substantiated, a range of offences may have been committed against the Commonwealth Criminal Code 1995".

"I am advised that the Australian Federal Police Commissioner has agreed to commence an investigation," said Rudd.

"As the Australian Federal Police investigation relates to possible criminal offences, that investigation can operate concurrently and without duplicating the inquiry currently being conducted by the Auditor-General."

If the email is indeed a fake then there's someone out there that has taken email authentication to a whole new level.

The fake email has been so well done that even the Liberal Party hasn't been able to spot the difference.

Obviously the alleged email wouldn't have been like those fake and annoying bank emails, alleging illegal activity occurring on your account.

However, if the email turns out to be real, then in the spirit of Gough Whitlam; "God save the Queen, but who will save" the Prime Minister.

What do you think? Is email authentication  bigger pain then spam?  Are your end users concerned about where their email comes from?