EXCLUSIVE: SEVENTEEN police are
accused of trying to derail an investigation into a fellow officer who
crashed his car into a hotel while more than twice the legal
blood-alcohol limit.
Two officers have already been sacked and two others have resigned.
The
network of accused crooked cops includes a superintendent, an
inspector, a senior sergeant, four sergeants, six leading senior
constables, three senior constables and a police public servant.
Documents released to the
Herald Sun under Freedom of Information laws reveal an 18-month probe by the force's internal investigators.
It
was overseen by the OPI and IBAC and led to 10 of the group being
accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice by interfering in
an investigation while six other officers and a police public servant
were accused of failing to obey orders.
Inspector Mark Edwards, transferred from Bendigo to Maryborough
early last year, was suspended without pay in August after being charged
with perjury and misleading the Office of Police Integrity.
Police sources told the
Herald Sun the corruption probe centres on an investigation into former Bendigo senior constable Dean Robinson.
Robinson crashed his car into the Queens Arms Hotel, Bendigo, in November 2011.
No one was injured but Robinson fled the scene and drove home, where he later recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.111.
Robinson
admitted drinking heavily at another hotel before getting into his car
and pleaded guilty to drink-driving, dangerous driving and failing to
stop at the scene of an accident last March.
He was fined $7000 and lost his licence for 11 months, with no conviction.
Magistrate Richard Wright said Robinson had "had a skinful" when he got into his car and drove home.
"In
the past this was the standard way of operating by members of the
Victorian Police Force. That culture has changed," Mr Wright said.
More than nine months after the crash Robinson resigned while force command was still considering whether to sack him.
The
Office of Police Integrity and the Ethical Standards Department
reviewed the crash investigation following concerns it had not been
properly conducted.
Senior police refuse to comment on the matter
despite the sackings and three other officers having already being
placed on internal good behaviour bonds, other than to say that it
involved "inappropriate emails, inappropriate use of police resources;
poor leadership and judgment" in relation to an internal investigation.
"As this is an active investigation, no further comment can be made," police spokeswoman Lisa Beechey said.
A
sergeant and the public servant have already been drummed out of the
force while another sergeant and a senior constable have resigned.
Two
Leading Sen-Constables have been given internal police good behaviour
bonds and fined, with a Sen-Constable also placed on a good behaviour
bond.
Other members are under investigation.
At least 30 police have been caught drink-driving in the past two years.
heraldsun.com.au 2 Feb 2014
Victoria Police is literally a 'criminal' organisation, where the extent of crimes is covered up by the various 'policing' companies, e.g. OPI (Office of Police Integrity) or IBAC (Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission) which are run by the police with a vested interest to conceal the criminal activities of their colleagues.
Some have mentioned that the only 'rivals' to the criminal activities of police are certain people within the 'bikie' community that have access to firearms, hence the new tough anti bikie laws.
The so called 'law' courts of Australia support the crimes committed by the police and punish those who expose this corruption.
THE police are NOT public servants, nor do they function as 'peace keepers' (for the public) but rather are subservient to the corporate rule of government
Police in Sunbury (approx 40km outside of Melbourne, Victoria) are responsible for the death and cover up of a local, but it is doubtful that this information will ever make corporate media headlines.