More than 300 secret documents linked to the AWB kickbacks scandal are expected to start being released on Tuesday as the long-running Cole inquiry resumes its public hearings.

Commissioner Terence Cole, QC, has set aside four more hearing days this week after AWB lost a Federal Court battle to keep hundreds of documents secret.

Members of AWB's in-house legal team, former managing director Andrew Lindberg, and external legal adviser Chris Quennell are being recalled to give evidence.

They are expected to be grilled about the documents the Federal Court last week ordered AWB to hand over.

Many relate to AWB's internal investigation into allegations the company was paying millions of dollars worth of kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime under the United Nation's corruption-ridden oil-for-food program.

The documents were the subject of a claim of legal professional privilege by AWB, which argued they contained advice from lawyers and should not be publicly released.

But Justice Neil Young last week ruled more than 300 documents could be provided to the Cole inquiry.

He said AWB executives had waived the privilege by telling the government and the inquiry about the advice, which they say found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Senior counsel assisting the Cole inquiry, John Agius, SC, will begin tabling the documents on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Justice Young is also expected to hand down his decision on AWB's request for taxpayers to foot its bill from its failed Federal Court battle.

AWB's barrister James Judd told the court on Monday the commonwealth should have to pay its costs because AWB succeeded in keeping more than half the 900 documents confidential.

Australia