Premier Denis Napthine urges whistleblowers to come forward

Premier Denis Napthine. Source: News Corp Australia

 

PREMIER Denis Napthine has urged people with allegations of serious misconduct to contact the anti-corruption watchdog. 

Today, the Supreme Court will decide whether to permanently prevent Victorians from learning details of the Lawyer X police scandal, unearthed by the Herald Sun this week.

Last night Dr Napthine, in his first public comments on the Lawyer X matter, said: “Any person or organisation with any information relating to alleged corruption or misconduct should provide that information to IBAC.’’

As calls continued for an independent inquiry, emergency talks between senior police and the Government were held at Parliament House.

Acting Chief Commissioner Tim Cartwright held lengthy meetings about Lawyer X with Police Minister Kim Wells and Attorney-General Robert Clark.

Dr Napthine said: “It has been a longstanding tradition in Victoria that police operational matters are the responsibility of the Chief Commis­-sioner. It would be inapprop-riate for the Government to interfere with the operational decision making process of the Chief Commissioner’s Office.”

But Dr Napthine said anyone with information that could relate to alleged serious misconduct should approach the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.

He also said “all these matters happened under the previous Labor government and under previous Victoria Police ­administrations”.

As Victoria Police continued its bid to keep the case out of the public arena, Victoria’s Government Solicitor’s office took the unusual step yesterday of warning the media across the country from ­reporting on the issue.

Acting on behalf of the Chief Commissioner of Police, managing principal solicitor David Ryan said there were “grave concerns” about details of the case being published.

Prominent criminal lawyer Rob Stary has called for an independent probe into the issue.

Law Institute of Victoria’s past president Michael Holcroft said if serious allegations of legal misconduct were put forward, it might require investigation by an independent body.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies said: “If the public and Parliament are concerned enough, no doubt there will be an inquiry.

“What form it takes is a matter for government, but in order for answers to be obtained, if there is an inquiry, it must be a competent and thorough one,” he said.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews told 3AW that the public needed answers, and said one answer could be a royal commission.

“I don’t think gag orders from courts that stops the media reporting on these issues is how we are going to get the answers we need, so perhaps a royal commission is needed, or another way - there are other bodies, we have got an anti-corruption body.”

Acting Chief Commissioner Cartwright is also understood to have met with the ­Opposition.

heraldsun.com.au 3 April 2014

Victoria Police is a criminal organisation that uses violence, extortion, property theft, as way of intimidating the general populous.

It is not just a matter of a minority in the 'force' but rather a mindset as "we have the guns" a comment that was recently made by a police source that wishes to remain anonymous.

Whistle blowers are put on a database, where corrupt police compromise their identity threaten their families and the lives of the informants.

What real protection do these whistle blowers really have?

THE IBAC is another corrupt organisation, where the head of the lower ranking police under investigation, is investigating their alleged crimes.

The commission is NOT independent as claimed.