Police do not believe Woodville pizza bar hand worked across two medi-hotels

SA’s top cop says detectives have found no link between the medi-hotel where COVID-19 escaped and a pizza bar worker whose “lie” led to the statewide lockdown.

SA Police are examining hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to check if the man at the centre of the alleged lockdown lie worked at two medi-hotels, but have so far found no link.

Questions have risen about why detectives investigating an alleged lie that sparked the SA lockdown are examining 400 hours of CCTV from the Peppers medi-hotel, where a cleaner contracted the virus and gave it to two security guards, before spreading it to her family at a dinner.

The man who misled contact tracers works as a kitchen-hand at the Stamford Plaza hotel on North Tce and at the Woodville Pizza Bar, where he contracted COVID from one of the Peppers security guards who also worked at the pizza bar.

He told SA Health contact tracers he did not work at the pizza bar and ordered a pizza there, creating false fears about how virulent the Parafield strain of the virus was.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said detectives were examining Peppers CCTV to “cover all bases” and he was not aware of a connection between the Peppers cleaner and the Stamford hotel kitchen-hand.

The Woodville Pizza Bar on November 20 2020. Day 2 of the South Australian COVID-19 six day lockdown. Picture Matt Turner.

He said the Stamford hotel had contacted police claiming the kitchen-hand was not a hotel employee, but Mr Stevens said he was “working in the Stamford, there’s clearly no doubt about that, it’s my understanding he is a subcontractor”.

“It doesn’t change the context of the arrangement.”

He said the “purpose of reviewing the Peppers CCTV” was to check if the man had worked at more than one medi-hotel.

He said police were checking Peppers CCTV to also help contact tracers.

“We’re making sure the person of interest hasn’t found their way into Peppers,” Mr Stevens said. “I don’t believe the kitchen-hand went to Peppers. I’m confident that … someone hasn’t snuck in. The security in medi-hotels is very tight.

“The analysis was to be satisfied that someone wasn’t participating in another form of employment in that hotel, potentially under a different name.

“We’ve done this work as part of the whole package, we’ve got the resources. We need to identify the original source of the virus … the movement of the virus from an infected person who’s returned to Australia to one of the staff members.

“We’re assisting health with that, we’ve got the equipment, the expertise, we’re viewing the CCTV and providing the necessary material to health.”

Two other people being investigated over Taskforce Protect lockdown prove are yet to be interviewed by detectives because they have engaged lawyers.

Senior police have revealed they are still negotiating with lawyers acting for the pair, who are closely connected to the pizza bar, which is the focus of the investigation.

Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Peter Harvey said the Spanish man, 36, who lied to SA Health contact tracers about his link to the Woodville Pizza Bar “was co-operating fully’’ with the investigation and detectives were in the process of examining his mobile telephone, laptop and a hard drive from his home.

“From what I have seen, he has been cooperative and that has been helpful,’’ he said.

Mr Harvey said detectives had not yet discovered a motive for the man’s actions in lying to contact tracers and no evidence of criminal activity had yet been discovered.

Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Harvey. Picture: Tait Schmaal

The Spanish man and the two people, who are yet to be identified, are all being held in hotel quarantine in the city because they tested positive to COVID-19. Police have revealed detectives had analysed 400 hours of CCTV seized from Pepper’s Hotel in Waymouth St over the weekend as part of the investigation.

“It is being examined to both establish if there is a link between the 36-year-old and the hotel and also to provide information to assist SA Health in its contact tracing operations,’’ Mr Harvey said.

The task force was expected to continue its investigations for several days and then a full assessment of the evidence will determine if there has been any possible breaches of either criminal or civil legislation.

Mr Harvey said advice had been sought from Director of Public Prosecutions Martin Hinton QC over the weekend concerning the evidentiary requirements needed to support any possible breach.

“We will reach a decision in some form in the very near future …’’ he said. “The task force is looking at acts or omissions that may have influenced decisions made in this state. There is no presumption of guilt, we are looking at all facts and all the legislation and based on a fair assessment we will see if there is a charge to be laid.’’

Police outside the Woodville Pizza Bar. Picture: Matt Turner

Mr Harvey said investigations from the examination of the CCTV were unfolding and information was being passed to SA Health.

“There may be nothing, that is the whole purpose of an investigation. It will be done carefully and we will put our case forward,’’ he said.

“There may not be a case, just the same, there may well be, that is the point of the investigation.’

“If there is any offence under any Act of which the elements are lying or omitting advice, or providing false advice it will be looked at.

“That suite can go from the criminal law, emergency management act, the public health genre. It is not as simple as ‘you lied, you are in trouble’, it is not as simple as that.’’