Federal government MP and former soldier Andrew Hastie has defended his decision to blow the whistle on Victorian Cross winner Ben Roberts-Smith, telling a court he wanted to shed light on alleged war crimes. The Assistant Minister for Defence gave evidence at the Federal Court hearing on Monday about speaking to the media about the Roberts-Smith’s unlawful conduct in Afghanistan, having previously said he believed the war hero may be a war criminal. Roberts-Smith, 43, is suing journalists at The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times over defamation after the news outlets alleged him of committing war crimes in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012, including bullying colleagues and assaulting his mistress. The decorated veteran denied all the accusations while the newspapers are pleading a defence of truth. Hastie – a captain in the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment between 2010 and 2015 – said the accusations came …