Fresh charges for Australian Federal Police officer William Wheatley

An Australian Federal Police officer from Melbourne has been charged with trafficking and possessing methamphetamines while on bail for corruption allegations.

Image supplied by the AFP. Generic image if Australian Federal Police badge

Australian Federal Police officer William Wheatley has been charged with drug offences by his own force as he remains on bail over corruption allegations.

The 45-year-old was brought in the dock of Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon where he faced fresh charges of trafficking and possessing methamphetamines.

An AFP spokeswoman confirmed that an officer was charged on Wednesday “with trafficking a drug of dependence and possessing a controlled drug”.

“This matter is currently being investigated by AFP Professional Standards,” she said.

The Kensington man was released from custody on Wednesday afternoon after Magistrate Leon Fluxman said he demonstrated “compelling reasons” for bail, including that he had no criminal history.

His Honour noted that he was already on bail for “other unrelated matters”.

Police did not oppose him being released.

Mr Wheatley was ordered to hand over his passport, not to leave Australia, not to contact witnesses in the case, or to use a drug of dependence.

He will return to court over the drug charges on August 16.

It comes after Mr Wheatley was charged late last year over high-level corruption offences following a probe by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI).

ACLEI said in a statement it was aware that the man had been arrested and charged on Wednesday.

The fresh charges were unrelated to the corruption, theft and money-laundering counts laid in December, 2022.

AFP staff were informed of the corruption charges in a special meeting at the end of last year, which sent shockwaves around the force.

Mr Wheatley is due to return to court over the corruption allegations in July.