Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton backs Victoria Police handling of Lawyer X
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has backed Victoria Police’s handling of Lawyer X and revealed there is a lot of non-Lawyer X evidence that could be used against Tony Mokbel and Rob Karam.
Law & Order
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Any retrials granted to drug Mr Bigs Tony Mokbel and Rob Karam over the Lawyer X scandal will have plenty of other evidence to consider, top cop Graham Ashton says.
The Chief Commissioner also says he does not believe either he or any other police officer who dealt with Lawyer X, or who was aware of her role as an informer, had committed any criminal or disciplinary offences.
“I am confident that I have done nothing that’s wrong,” he told the Herald Sun.
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“I’ve certainly done nothing that’s illegal, or anything like that.
“The police involved have my support, because I am confident they were always acting in good faith.
“My confidence is also validated by the work of the (Justice Murray) Kellam review (for the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission),” he said.
“We’ve implemented the recommendations of the Kellam review and … there wasn’t a recommendation for any disciplinary action.”
The Kellam review was done by former Supreme Court justice Murray Kellam, QC, for Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission.
The inquiry followed Herald Sun revelations on Lawyer X, who was a police informer for years while representing some of the state’s most dangerous and prolific criminals.
The 2015 Kellam review found high-order negligence in force management of information from informers — failings that had the potential to adversely affect the administration of justice — and made 16 recommendations for reform.
It said Victoria Police’s failings had the potential to have adversely affected the administration of justice in Victoria.
The Andrews Government this month announced a royal commission will examine the informer scandal that has rocked the force.
Mr Ashton told the Herald Sun in 2015 the force’s internal advice was that it didn’t expect any convictions to be quashed as a result of the informer scandal.
“As I said back then, I hope it’s the case,” he said yesterday.
“I certainly hope so because I hope the courts would look at if there has been any actual details that have compromised someone’s trial, rather than the appearance of it, or the potential for it.
“I certainly hope that will be taken into consideration by the courts in relation to these matters.”
Asked if it was a mistake for Victoria Police to turn Lawyer X from a secret informer, who would not be required to give evidence in court, to a known informer by naming her as a witness against allegedly corrupt cop Paul Dale, Mr Ashton said he was not in Victoria Police at that time.
“I took later action when I was in Victoria Police to withdraw our criminal prosecution of Paul Dale,” he said.
Mr Ashton said he did so because he had concerns for the safety of Lawyer X.
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“That’s probably all I can say about it before the royal commission. I will give that information to the royal commission,” he said.
Asked if he believed Lawyer X had committed any criminal offences by informing to police, Mr Ashton said: “I don’t really know enough to give you an answer on that.”
Asked if he believed any police had committed any criminal offences by using the information provided by Lawyer X, Mr Ashton said: “I don’t believe they did, no.”
Asked if he believed any Victoria Police officer did anything in relation to Lawyer X that warranted internal disciplinary charges, Mr Ashton said: “I haven’t seen anything yet that does, but if the royal commission makes recommendations down the track well obviously we need to look at that, but there’s been nothing to date.”
“We haven’t had the royal commissioner appointed so I haven’t had a chance as the chief commissioner to meet with that person and work out how Victoria Police will engage with that royal commission, how they want things done,” Mr Ashton said.
“So it’s way too early for me to be able to comment on different aspects, all the witnesses and what went on.
“Other than I understand I have a role as the chief commissioner in relation to my current duties and the public should have confidence in me in my current duties.
“I’m just a witness in this matter.”