Vic: Chief commissioner undermined by leaked corruption reports

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2004
Vic: Chief commissioner undermined by leaked corruption reports

By Karen Hart

MELBOURNE, April 7 AAP - Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon believes
moves are afoot to undermine her and her colleagues with deliberate leaks about corruption
within the force.

Ms Nixon, who interrupted her holiday to address fresh police corruption allegations
made today, said she was determined to remove corrupt officers from the force.

"People are attempting to undermine me and I believe undermine the organisation and
its focus on these issues," she said.

"We want to focus on this issue, we're not going to let it go and we are going to continue
to focus on corrupt police officers."

Newspaper reports (eds: Herald Sun, The Australian) said a career criminal told police
a detective gave him a gun that was later used in one of the more recent gangland killings.

The reports said the criminal named the policeman who provided the weapon, but it is
not known whether it was handed over with the knowledge it would be used in an underworld
hit.

The detective was under suspension and had been charged with separate corruption offences,
reports said.

"There are certainly allegations that have been made and they will be investigated
throughly," Ms Nixon said.

Ms Nixon also defended her decision to take holidays as Melbourne's gangland war claimed
its 23rd victim last week when crime patriarch Lewis Moran was shot as he enjoyed a beer
and a bet at an inner-suburban pub.

"I have a great deal of confidence in the senior management of Victoria Police particularly
the crime department and Purana task force," she said.

Ms Nixon was last week accused of bringing an informer down from Sydney who passed
on information to the underworld instead of detectives.

"I have done nothing wrong at all, I have nothing to be concerned about and I am not
corrupt in any way and never have been," she said.

Despite calls for a royal commission into the underworld war, Ms Nixon said other options
should be explored first.

"Royal commissions are expensive, they're a one-off, often short term. I think a better
option might be for us to think of other kinds of powers ... such as extending the ombudsman's
powers."

Nonetheless, efforts to clean up the city's gangland element were paying off, she said.

"We are at a point where we are making maximum impact on this organisation, working
on organised crime in a way we have never done it before, working on corruption in policing
in a way we have never done it before."

Ms Nixon also confirmed that crime figures Mick Gatto and Carl Williams had been banned
from Melbourne's Crown Casino following a number of unspecified incidents at the site.

AAP kh/gfr/pw/jlw

KEYWORD: GANGLAND NIXON

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