Simon Overland to stay in top council role despite pending Royal Commission
Whittlesea Council chief executive Simon Overland will remain in his role, despite being embroiled in a Royal Commission into Victoria Police’s recruitment of a lawyer as an informant during the gangland wars.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Whittlesea Council chief executive Simon Overland will remain in his role at the council despite being embroiled in a Royal Commission into Victoria Police’s recruitment of a lawyer as an informant during the gangland wars.
In 2003 Mr Overland led the Purana Taskforce on organised crime which is credited for ending Melbourne’s bloody gangland feud.
LAWYER X: INSIDE AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST LEGAL SCANDAL
ROYAL COMMISSION TO PROBE LAWYER X GANGLAND SCANDAL
In 2009 he was appointed Police Commissioner.
He resigned as Police Commissioner in 2011 following a separate scandal.
Whittlesea mayor Lawrie Cox said because a Royal Commission had been called “relating to matters arising from Simon Overland’s previous employment” Mr Overland would not be making any comment.
Mr Overland is not a spokesman for Whittlesea Council and he has a policy of not speaking to the media.
Last week the State Government announced it would establish the Commission to investigate Victoria Police’s recruitment of a criminal defence barrister who defended several high profile criminals, including drug lord Tony Mokbel, at the same time as acting as a police informant.
Mr Overland has been accused of dining with the female lawyer, known to police as informer 3838, at an eastern suburbs golf club, to exchange information about her clients.
His oversight of the lawyer as an informer is expected to be heavily scrutinised during the commission.
Documents released by the Supreme Court last week showed informer 3838 said “There was no topic, criminal, organised crime group or underworld crime that was ‘off limits’ during the many debriefing sessions that occurred during the years that followed until Overland decided to utilise me as a witness in 2009 when everything fell apart.”
The High Court has labelled the police’s use of the informant as “reprehensible conduct”.
Mr Cox said Mr Overland had his “full support”.
The Commission will provide an interim report by July 1 2019 and a final report by December 1 2019.
MORE NORTHERN NEWS
COUNCIL TO BOOT POKIES-FUNDED SPORTS CLUBS
WHERE MOTORISTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE PINGED ON THEIR PHONES
Former boxing star bashes guard at maximum security prison
A boxer mentored by one of Australia’s best fighters punched a prison officer in the face during a violent outburst at a high security jail.
‘Karen’ from Brighton’s family pub let disabled teen play pokies
A security lapse at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel in Brunswick — owned by the family of Melbourne’s infamous Covid-era Karen — led to a disabled boy playing the pokies.