The ALP in Victoria have to do something to tame their force. They are dangerously exposed for their own corruption, and if they don't get the most independent police force in Australia in hand now, they could get rolled at any time.
So who will get to be put to bed?
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Something In The Way She Moves, ALP Mug Police
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Watchdog accused of leaking own report
from news.com.au
VICTORIA'S police union has accused the Office of Police Integrity (OPI) of leaking a report recommending union boss Paul Mullett and former assistant commissioner Noel Ashby face criminal charges.
Mr Ashby's lawyer, Phillip Priest QC, described it as "extraordinary" that an office set up by the state government to investigate corruption, including leaks, would leak information itself.
"Mr Ashby is in the cross hairs of the OPI for supposedly leaking information and he himself has been the subject of a leak," Mr Priest said.
"How else did the press get hold of the fact the thing would be tabled on Thursday, when it had not been communicated to the people intimately involved?
"Put two and two together about how the press found out."
When asked whether he or other angry lawyers representing targets of the OPI report would take action he said: "I don't know, how do you complain to Caesar about Caesar's wife?"
The Police Association's legal manager Greg Davies said state parliament should investigate what he called "another leak" of OPI information.
"If it is tabled Thursday, then it was either speculative reporting or a leak," Snr Sgt Davies said.
"We know nothing about it whatsoever, nor should we and nor should anyone certainly before at least the Premier is aware of it.
"The leaking of this sort of information before it's tabled in parliament is itself contemptuous of parliament ... parliament has quite wide-ranging powers (to investigate)."
OPI spokesman Paul Conroy said he would not "dignify with a response" accusations of leaks.
Mr Conroy described as "speculative" today's newspaper reports which suggested powerful police union secretary Snr Sgt Mullett was likely to be charged with perverting the course of justice.
The charge carries a penalty of up to 25 years' jail, as do possible misconduct charges that may be laid against Mr Ashby and former police media chief Steve Linnell.
Mr Conroy confirmed the report, authored by retired Federal Court judge Murray Wilcox QC following last year's OPI hearings into leaks from a murder investigation, would be tabled in parliament on Thursday.
The union believes the OPI has previously leaked information to the media, including information that detective and union delegate Peter Lalor had been tipped off he was being investigated over the underworld murder of a male prostitute.
Secret telephone intercepts aired at the public OPI hearings last November revealed leaks involving Mr Ashby and Mr Linnell in relation to the murder investigation.
It was alleged that Mr Linnell improperly passed information to Mr Ashby, who told Snr Sgt Mullett, who told Police Association president Brian Rix, who then told Det Sgt Lalor.
Snr Sgt Mullett maintains his innocence but has been suspended from the force since November.
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