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Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants
The biggest scandal in Victoria's legal history.
Dozens of criminals are soon to claim that their convictions were tainted by systemic police misconduct during and after Melbourne's gangland war.
The systemic wrongdoing, which was sanctioned at the highest levels in the force and which some officers feared was endangering lives, is due to be detailed when the scandal erupts next week.
A special court was expected to be set up to deal with a deluge of appeals among talk of a Royal Commission.
From The Age
A series of high-profile criminal convictions could be thrown into doubt next week following a protracted legal battle over the use of a controversial informer with strong links to Melbourne’s underworld and law enforcement.
An investigative agency recently lost a four-year court battle against another government department to suppress information that is expected to raise serious concerns about the integrity of Victoria’s justice system.
At the heart of the controversy is how the investigative agency obtained information from an informer regarding Melbourne’s gangland war, despite the informer having a blatant conflict of interest because of their professional role.
It is understood the registered informer provided intelligence on some of the nation's most notorious criminals for more than five years.
But it is understood the extensive suppression orders relating to the matter will be revoked next week.
That is expected to spark the release of parts of a damning report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) that could severely damage the careers of several high-ranking public officials.
The legal basis of several major criminal convictions, including those for murder and drug trafficking, have been cast into doubt and will be re-examined as part of a review into the conduct of the investigative agency.
It is likely a Supreme Court Justice will be appointed to review a series of cases to see if it was likely that compromised evidence was used to gain convictions or influence decisions by accused to plead guilty.
If there is any suggestion of tainted evidence lawyers will be able to apply the Full Court of the Supreme Court to have the convictions set aside.
One senior legal source familiar with the case said the decision to use the registered informer could prove to be the “the most disastrous miscarriage of justice in the state’s history.”
It is known some of Victoria’s most notorious criminals have been aware of the controversy and are waiting for the legal green light to pursue appeals.
The informer is understood to have received a multi-million-dollar settlement over the conduct of the law enforcement agency.
A senior official said the exposure of the saga would be one of the state’s worst scandals.
“Is it criminal? No. Is it ethical? No. Absolutely no,” the source said.
Authorities have attempted to keep a tight lid since the proceeding began in 2014, blanketing the matter in suppression orders.
In April 2014, then Solicitor General David Ryan took the unusual step of warning media of his "grave concerns" about any publication of the explosive details.
Claims that a string of high-profile trials had been compromised prompted an investigation by Victoria's corruption watchdog which was led by former Supreme Court judge Murray Kellam.
The Age understands the findings of the IBAC probe could also be released next week.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/...er-conduct-of-informer-x-20181129-p50j6v.html
Tony Mokbel and an 'informant' features with claims raising hopes his sentence will be either overturned or reduced, so he's out within four years. Senior police privately believe his claims have merit.
The biggest scandal in Victoria's legal history.
Dozens of criminals are soon to claim that their convictions were tainted by systemic police misconduct during and after Melbourne's gangland war.
The systemic wrongdoing, which was sanctioned at the highest levels in the force and which some officers feared was endangering lives, is due to be detailed when the scandal erupts next week.
A special court was expected to be set up to deal with a deluge of appeals among talk of a Royal Commission.
From The Age
A series of high-profile criminal convictions could be thrown into doubt next week following a protracted legal battle over the use of a controversial informer with strong links to Melbourne’s underworld and law enforcement.
An investigative agency recently lost a four-year court battle against another government department to suppress information that is expected to raise serious concerns about the integrity of Victoria’s justice system.
At the heart of the controversy is how the investigative agency obtained information from an informer regarding Melbourne’s gangland war, despite the informer having a blatant conflict of interest because of their professional role.
It is understood the registered informer provided intelligence on some of the nation's most notorious criminals for more than five years.
But it is understood the extensive suppression orders relating to the matter will be revoked next week.
That is expected to spark the release of parts of a damning report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) that could severely damage the careers of several high-ranking public officials.
The legal basis of several major criminal convictions, including those for murder and drug trafficking, have been cast into doubt and will be re-examined as part of a review into the conduct of the investigative agency.
It is likely a Supreme Court Justice will be appointed to review a series of cases to see if it was likely that compromised evidence was used to gain convictions or influence decisions by accused to plead guilty.
If there is any suggestion of tainted evidence lawyers will be able to apply the Full Court of the Supreme Court to have the convictions set aside.
One senior legal source familiar with the case said the decision to use the registered informer could prove to be the “the most disastrous miscarriage of justice in the state’s history.”
It is known some of Victoria’s most notorious criminals have been aware of the controversy and are waiting for the legal green light to pursue appeals.
The informer is understood to have received a multi-million-dollar settlement over the conduct of the law enforcement agency.
A senior official said the exposure of the saga would be one of the state’s worst scandals.
“Is it criminal? No. Is it ethical? No. Absolutely no,” the source said.
Authorities have attempted to keep a tight lid since the proceeding began in 2014, blanketing the matter in suppression orders.
In April 2014, then Solicitor General David Ryan took the unusual step of warning media of his "grave concerns" about any publication of the explosive details.
Claims that a string of high-profile trials had been compromised prompted an investigation by Victoria's corruption watchdog which was led by former Supreme Court judge Murray Kellam.
The Age understands the findings of the IBAC probe could also be released next week.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/...er-conduct-of-informer-x-20181129-p50j6v.html
Tony Mokbel and an 'informant' features with claims raising hopes his sentence will be either overturned or reduced, so he's out within four years. Senior police privately believe his claims have merit.
