Commissioner says police have ‘nothing to hide’ in Whiskey Au Go Go inquest

Queensland Police commissioner Katarina Carroll has responded after a senior detective levelled startling allegations at her boss in relation to the Whiskey Au Go Go inquest.

Queensland Police commissioner Katarina Carroll has declared the QPS “has nothing to hide” after a detective levelled startling allegations at another senior officer in open court.

Cold case detective Virginia Gray stunned an inquest into the 1973 Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing last week when she claimed she was asked to redact dozens of pages from her coronial report that included criticism of the original police investigation.

Detective Sergeant Gray gave testimony that her boss Detective Inspector Damien Hansen told her to cut allegations the main suspect in the mass murder had been “verballed” by police from her report, telling her to leave that to “journalists and police haters”.

The commissioner was asked about the conflict between the high-ranking officers at a press conference in Townsville on Thursday at a swearing in ceremony for 43 new police officers.

“For me as a commissioner, it’s disappointing to see those things play out publicly,” Ms Carroll told journalists.

“There’s actually nothing to hide here.”

Ms Carroll said it would be “highly inappropriate” for her to discuss the situation with the officers involved.

“I understand there’s rebuttal evidence that’s about to come up, it all hasn’t played out yet,” she said.

“Those opportunities are definitely coming up.

“But I just want to make it clear, from an organisational perspective, there is nothing to hide here.”

The court heard that both versions of the report were eventually submitted to the coroner one month apart late last year.

“Both of the reports are there, it’s just the format,” Ms Carroll said.

“And a lot of the time there will be some disagreement about the format it goes in and both reports are there.”

Detective Inspector Damien Hansen. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

Counsel assisting the coroner Stephen Keim SC last week said he did not accept an explanation given to the court that 27 pages of the report had been cut as a result of an email from another police officer asking for changes.

That email was tendered to the court and Coroner Ryan also said his interpretation was that the email was proposing a restructuring of the report, not a request for a substantial change of the content.

Detective Sergeant Virginia Gray leaves the Coroner's Court in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Det Sgt Gray’s evidence last week was suppressed under a non-publication order sought by the commissioner’s barrister, but the suppression was lifted on Wednesday after The Courier-Mail and The Australian newspapers fought to have it lifted.

A barrister for Det Insp Hansen on Wednesday said the senior officer did not seek the suppression order and did not argue against it being lifted.

A QPS spokesman said the non-publication order had been sought to allow the officers named by Det Sgt Gray to “obtain independent legal advice and consider their position”.

“There was no intention to permanently prevent the evidence from being published,” he said.

The inquest continues.