IBAC to hold public hearings into taking of police statements in the Silk Miller police murder case
A falsified statement bolstering the case that two gunmen fired on slain police Gary Silk and Rodney Miller will be key to public hearings ordered by the corruption watchdog.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A falsified statement bolstering the case that two gunmen fired on slain police Gary Silk and Rodney Miller will be key to public hearings ordered by the corruption watchdog.
The bombshell announcement by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission on Wednesday, putting the spotlight on the actions of police and senior detectives, is the latest twist in a 20-year saga.
At least three officers who made statements and testified about Senior Constable Miller’s “dying declaration’’, as well as senior police who oversaw the murder investigation, codenamed Lorimer, are set to be called to the public hearings.
READ MORE: DOUBT ON DYING WORDS
ROBERTS ‘NOT THERE’, IDDLES CONCLUDES
The IBAC probe began after the Herald Sun found a police statement, buried for 19 years.
Commissioner Robert Redlich, QC, will preside, and Jack Rush, QC, will be counsel assisting, at the public hearings in February.
Mr Redlich said: “The public hearings are necessary to examine a range of concerning practices allegedly used by Victoria Police officers, including during the investigation of the Silk-Miller murders, and to determine if these police practices are still continuing. If these concerning practices are still used by Victoria Police, they have the potential to impact on the integrity of criminal investigations and the delivery of justice.”
A statement by Senior Constable Glenn Pullin, taken on the morning of the August 16, 1998, shootings in Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, did not refer to multiple offenders.
A second statement, understood to have been taken almost two years later by Sergeant George Bucchorn, includes several sentences said to have been uttered by the dying officer Miller, including that “they were on foot’’.
Both were stamped as having been witnessed by then-homicide detective Charlie Bezzina at 4.25am on August 16, 1998, four hours after the shootings. It is believed Mr Bezzina was duped into signing a second statement without being told of its contents, or that his signature was duplicated.
The buried original statement was obtained by the Herald Sun.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the force would fully co-operate with the IBAC hearings.
“Victoria Police stands by the investigation conducted by Taskforce Lorimer and maintains confidence in the convictions it achieved,” the spokeswoman said in a statement on Wednesday.
“While the IBAC inquiry is underway it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
MORE NEWS: