Lawyer X allegedly given free rein at Barwon Prison to gather information: whistleblower
Lawyer X was given unprecedented access to Barwon Prison and able to enter the state’s highest security jail “at any time” to gather information from inmates, senior prison officers allege. Other allegations include Carl Williams being taken from the prison for outings including to see family and friends.
Breaking news
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking news. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Lawyer X was given unprecedented access to the state’s highest-security jail to take part in information gathering missions, senior prison officers allege.
A whistleblower claims other unorthodox methods were used to reward/induce prisoners co-operating with police.
In a letter seen by the Sunday Herald Sun, the staffer said Lawyer X was given free rein to enter Barwon Prison “at any time”.
TOP COPS TO FACE ROYAL COMMISSION GRILLING
“A number of senior officers here in the prison have commented on some of the ongoings here that should never have occurred,’’ the letter reads.
The whistleblower claims senior officers had been voicing their concerns about how the prison was run during the gangland era since the Lawyer X story was revealed.
The accusations include that:
LAWYER X was allowed entry to the prison “at any time’’ to speak with inmates she convinced to inform;
CARL Williams and at least one other inmate, who was close to Lawyer X, were taken from the prison for outings including to see family and friends;
EXPENSIVE computers and running machines were purchased for prisoners who co-operated with police;
A PRISON boss’s secretary ran errands for Purana detectives;
DRUG boss Rob Karam was placed and remains in solitary confinement without reason; and
PRISON officers were told to include those absent prisoners in their daily muster counts.
However, the Sunday Herald Sun has been told officers kept two lists to keep track of those taken outside the prison.
It is also understood members of the Corrections Major Offenders Unit agreed to demands from the anti-gangland Purana Taskforce on where prisoners were placed and their movement off the facility.
This included Carl Williams’ stay at a military training base, near Queenscliff, where his girlfriend met with him.
The Sunday Herald Sun has been told of one meeting Lawyer X had with a detective on remand for serious corruption charges.
The former cop — who had been one of her clients — said Lawyer X pestered him with questions about disgraced drug squad detective David Miechel.
The detective thought it was odd but only realised the true significance of what was going on recently when her work for police was exposed.
Miechel was jailed over a bungled 2003 burglary on an Oakleigh drug house, committed with police informer Terry Hodson.
Sgt Paul Dale was also charged but the prosecution was abandoned when Hodson — who had turned prosecution witness — was murdered.
THE FULL LAWYER X LETTER REVEALED
LAWYER X’S SEXUAL AFFAIRS IN SECRET REPORT
The latest revelations come as law and order figures predict the royal commission into the Lawyer X saga will drag on and blow out the budget.
“$7.9 million won’t pay for the first round of drinks,” said one.
The source said lawyers who provided advice to police about the use of Lawyer X’s intelligence should be answerable. Since giving the advice, some are now part of the judiciary.
“They need to be stood up and be accountable,” he said.
Corrections Victoria said in a statement that it was inappropriate to comment given the government’s royal commission into the management of police informants.
Billion-dollar crypto slave scam exposed
Fake crypto platforms are being used to scam ordinary people out of thousands of dollars - all with the use of helpless slaves.
Ex-cop’s shock at what he found behind the razor wire of maximum security
Former cop Gary Jubelin used to lock prisoners up and never thought about them again as he moved on to the next case. Now he has been granted full access to a maximum security jail and what he found shocked him.