‘Brief and uninvited’: Corrupt former mayor Paul Pisasale chats to jail boss

The Queensland Police Commissioner has played down Ian Leavers’ interactions with Paul Pisasale at the Ipswich Cup. Convicted sex offender Pisasale was also spotted chatting to the prison manager where the former mayor was an inmate.

Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski has played down Ian Leavers’ interactions with Paul Pisasale at the Ipswich Cup on Saturday, saying it was “incidental”.

Footage, uncovered by Channel 9, showed the disgraced former politician socialising and sharing drinks with Mr Leavers. Mr Leavers was also filmed taking photographs of Pisasale posing with racegoers.

Mr Leavers is both the president of the Queensland Police Union and a member of the Queensland Police Service, which has a declarable association policy that all members must abide by.

But Mr Gollschewski said this put Mr Leavers in an “unusual” position.

“That gives him some leeway in terms of how he conducts himself,” Mr Gollschewski said.

Mr Leavers is also a member of the board at Ipswich Turf Club, where he was spotted drinking and chatting with Pisasale throughout the day.

Pisasale is also a parolee.

Paul Pisasale spent time with Queensland Police Union boss Ian Leavers at the Ipswich Cup. Source: 9NEWS.

But Mr Gollschewski said this interaction was incidental.

“My understanding of the matter is that it’s quite incidental in his role as a member of the board.

“And (Pisasale’s) presence there I would think was incidental.”

But Ipswich Turf Club chairman Wayne Patch invited Pisasale to the cup as a VIP, defending the decision on 4BC and saying he was a board member for 16 years.

“The way the board looked at it, Paul was convicted of some offences, none of which were associated with his service to the turf club,” Mr Patch told 4BC host Peter Fegan.

Mr Gollschewski said he still had faith in Mr Leavers.

“I’ve got confidence in my system that it will deal with it in the appropriate way.

“I’ve also got confidence in Ian Leavers, he’s a person that understands the system and does the right thing all the time, when he can.

“There’s optics and then there’s the reality of what should happen and what needs to happen and what the appropriate thing to do is.

“I’ll put the optics aside, people can make their own judgement about that, but I’ve got confidence in Mr Leavers and I’ve got confidence in my own organisation to deal with those things.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan didn’t weigh in on Mr Leavers’ actions.

“That’s a matter for the individual involved. People can make their own decisions,” Mr Ryan said.

Pisasale was also spotted speaking with Patrick Ralph, a manager at Wolston Correctional Centre, where Pisasale was an inmate.

Corrupt former mayor Paul Pisasale was spotted at the Ipswich Cup chatting with Wolston Correctional Centre residential manager Patrick Ralph (left) and Queensland Police Union boss Ian Leavers (right). Source: 9NEWS.

Mr Ryan said it was an “uninvited approach”.

“The advice I’ve got is that the QCS officer followed all the necessary processes and reported it, as is proper.

“Any reports around any interactions with someone on parole are looked at to make sure that person is complying with their parole conditions.”

It comes after The Courier-Mail reported corrupt former mayor and convicted sex offender Pisasale recognised his own jailer and approached the man for a friendly chat during his controversial attendance as a VIP guest at Saturday’s Ipswich Cup.

Footage of Pisasale emerged at the weekend showing him at the popular horse racing event with Mr Leavers, who was criticised for rubbing shoulders with the convicted criminal.

The footage also showed Pisasale approach Mr Ralph for a chat, with a Queensland Corrective Services spokeswoman saying the former inmate recognised him.

A QCS spokeswoman described the contact between Mr Ralph and his former charge in the VIP area as brief and uninvited.

“QCS is aware a former prisoner recognised and approached off-duty officers uninvited for a brief conversation,” she said.

“This type of interaction with former prisoners in the community is a daily occurrence.

“Officers self-reported their brief interaction with the former prisoner and an immediate review was launched by QCS to ensure no breach of policy.”

Pisasale spent more than three years of a seven-year term behind bars – most of it at Wolston – after pleading guilty to dozens of charges, including corruption, fraud and sexual assault.

Court hearings heard Pisasale accepted money from developers, pocketed donations and used council money to buy items at auction.

In 2016, he twice forcibly kissed and touched a young woman in a council office, with Judge Dennis Lynch telling Pisasale’s sentencing hearing he “preyed upon” her and that she became “socially isolated and fearful of others” following the attack.

Pisasale was also separately found guilty of extortion after he posed as a private investigator to demand thousands of dollars from the ex-boyfriend of a Chinese escort.

Mr Patch was slammed by 4BC host Mr Fegan last week for inviting Pisasale to the cup as a VIP.

In an uncomfortable exchange, Fegan criticised Mr Patch for supporting a convicted sex offender.

“Wayne, he’s a convicted sex offender! Is that not concerning to the board?” Fegan said.

“Surely this isn’t a good look to have a convicted sex offender invited as a VIP to the Ipswich Turf Club. Surely you’re better than this.

“You lose all credibility, every inch of credibility, when you are a convicted sex offender.”

Mr Patch responded: “Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion Peter.”