http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breakin...dals-in-victorian-history/20140401-35ux5.html
Neil Mitchell:-
I believe Victoria is on the verge of one of the biggest law and order scandals in its history. This could end anywhere. I am not overstating it, and it is not my assessment alone. I am also relying on sources who have explained what is happening. This could well result in crooks walking out of jail, police going to jail, lawyers being thrown out of their profession and, potentially, killers walking free and killers not being pursued when they should be pursued.
That is all possible, and what Victoria will need – there will be no option – is a full royal commission into what happened, why, and who was in it, because it could be that important. I don’t normally like royal commissions, but I think it will be essential.
The government is talking about the corruption commission – this is too big for that. It needs a royal commission. This all goes back to a Herald Sun report about a person they call Lawyer X. Lawyer X, the Herald Sun has found, was recruited by police to inform on underworld figures for 10 years. This person was a registered informer and gave police a pile of information on drug barons, hitmen, and the gangland wars.
Incidentally, it is 10 years since Lewis Moran was killed, so 10 years since the gangland wars really erupted. Now the claims here are that a murder taskforce was disbanded against the objections of then deputy chief Sir Ken Jones. Cases were compromised and convictions could now be thrown out. I am told there could be dozens of crooks affected by this.
There could also be misconduct or criminal claims against police – some senior – and further allegations of corruption, which will need to be tested.
They may or may not be true. But that is what we are sitting on here. It is one hell of a mess, and we only know part of it.
Believe me, this will end in a royal commission and it will be one of the ugliest times in Victorian history.
Nobody is talking about it today. Police reached agreement that some detail not be published by the Herald Sun, but what happens now?
Well, as a starting point, Sir Ken Jones will need to be brought back. I believe he was raising serious questions about all this. Conspiracy theorists would say that is one reason he was drummed out of the force - I don’t know about that.
But Sir Ken Jones needs to come back and give evidence under oath to a royal commission. The former chief, Simon Overland, will need to do the same. The government has no option. And it is starkly obvious that this goes to the heart of safety in Victoria, and the credibility of our system.
If crooks are let out of jail – if killers are not being pursued who should be pursued, or if police have somehow compromised the judicial system with this tactic – we must find out how, why and who.
And a royal commission is the only way.
Neil Mitchell:-
I believe Victoria is on the verge of one of the biggest law and order scandals in its history. This could end anywhere. I am not overstating it, and it is not my assessment alone. I am also relying on sources who have explained what is happening. This could well result in crooks walking out of jail, police going to jail, lawyers being thrown out of their profession and, potentially, killers walking free and killers not being pursued when they should be pursued.
That is all possible, and what Victoria will need – there will be no option – is a full royal commission into what happened, why, and who was in it, because it could be that important. I don’t normally like royal commissions, but I think it will be essential.
The government is talking about the corruption commission – this is too big for that. It needs a royal commission. This all goes back to a Herald Sun report about a person they call Lawyer X. Lawyer X, the Herald Sun has found, was recruited by police to inform on underworld figures for 10 years. This person was a registered informer and gave police a pile of information on drug barons, hitmen, and the gangland wars.
Incidentally, it is 10 years since Lewis Moran was killed, so 10 years since the gangland wars really erupted. Now the claims here are that a murder taskforce was disbanded against the objections of then deputy chief Sir Ken Jones. Cases were compromised and convictions could now be thrown out. I am told there could be dozens of crooks affected by this.
There could also be misconduct or criminal claims against police – some senior – and further allegations of corruption, which will need to be tested.
They may or may not be true. But that is what we are sitting on here. It is one hell of a mess, and we only know part of it.
Believe me, this will end in a royal commission and it will be one of the ugliest times in Victorian history.
Nobody is talking about it today. Police reached agreement that some detail not be published by the Herald Sun, but what happens now?
Well, as a starting point, Sir Ken Jones will need to be brought back. I believe he was raising serious questions about all this. Conspiracy theorists would say that is one reason he was drummed out of the force - I don’t know about that.
But Sir Ken Jones needs to come back and give evidence under oath to a royal commission. The former chief, Simon Overland, will need to do the same. The government has no option. And it is starkly obvious that this goes to the heart of safety in Victoria, and the credibility of our system.
If crooks are let out of jail – if killers are not being pursued who should be pursued, or if police have somehow compromised the judicial system with this tactic – we must find out how, why and who.
And a royal commission is the only way.
