NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb cleared of wrongdoing after buying alcohol for dignitaries

NSW’s top cop has strenuously denied shock allegations she bought more than 100 bottles of gin and drunk some of the hard liquor herself, calling the claims ‘absolutely false’.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has strenuously denied drinking gin in response to shocking new allegations broadcast in state parliament.

Upper House Independent MP Rod Roberts, speaking on Wednesday afternoon under parliamentary privilege, accused the state’s top cop of purchasing more than 100 bottles of gin with taxpayer money and drinking some of it herself along with her staff members.

“I have very good informants inside the NSW police force and members of the legal fraternity outside who have told me that Commissioner Webb has purchased in excess of 100 bottles of gin, and that gin, she said, and on radio this morning, Ben Fordham, that ‘I’ve used that as gifts to visiting dignitaries’,” Mr Roberts said.

“Well I say, that’s not correct. And that gin has been used by the commissioner herself and some of her members of staff.

“And I’m asking for the records to show where the distribution of that gin went. It is taxpayers' money.”

In a statement, Commissioner Webb called Mr Roberts’ claims “completely false”.

“The comments made under parliamentary privilege this afternoon are completely false,” she said.

“I invite public scrutiny as it is an important part of being NSW Police Commissioner but these comments are solely intended to damage my personal reputation and have no basis in fact.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb says she has never tasted any of the ‘Commissioner’s Gin’. Picture: Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

“The 50 bottles were purchased in accordance with policies and procedures as outlined by LECC.

“To date, 24 bottles have been distributed as gifts or donated for charity purposes.

“I have not tasted the Commissioner’s Gin and to suggest the bottles were purchased for personal and staff use, is incorrect.”

Speaking with 2GB’s Chris O’Keefe, Commissioner Webb said Mr Roberts “must have me confused for someone else”.

She also rejected the claim her staff members had drunk any of the gin.

The furore centres around a tradition in the NSW Police Force for the commissioner to buy bottles for visiting commissioners and dignitaries from other jurisdictions.

Ms Webb has defended her decision to buy alcohol after allegations were tabled in NSW parliament on Tuesday.

She explained that the purchase of bottles of gin follows a tradition set out by her predecessor, former Police Commissioner Mick Fuller.

Commissioner Karen Webb has been cleared of breaching any serious misconduct allegations, after questions arose about whether the use of taxpayer dollars was appropriate.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has defended her decision to buy bottles of gin for dignitaries. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“‘After becoming commissioner, I was informed by the previous (NSW Police) Commissioner (Mick Fuller) of his practice of providing bottles of commissioner’s signature shiraz wine as courtesy gifts for visiting commissioners and dignitaries from other jurisdictions’,” Ms Webb wrote in a text to 2GB journalist Ben Fordham, who told his listeners on Wednesday about their exchange.

“‘I continued this tradition and ordered from the same supplier as commissioner Fuller.

“Some are being gifted to such visitors and others for special occasions such as being donated to police legacy as an auction item, supporting families of deceased police. This is an established precedent Ben.”

She later confirmed she had swapped the wine order for bottles of gin to be purchased from the same supplier.

On Wednesday, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission confirmed it had investigated the allegations after receiving an anonymous complaint on September 7, 2023.

The LECC launched Operation Askern in October 2023 into whether Ms Webb’s had failed to declare a conflict of interest when purchasing the “Commissioner’s Gin”.

LECC found there was no evidence to support a finding of serious misconduct against Ms Webb or any other police officer who might have purchased the “Commissioner’s Gin” and presentation boxes.

The investigation also found the purchase of the alcohol was “in accordance with policies and procedures”.

However, LECC confirmed Ms Webb “should have disclosed her association with the supplier when she became aware of the purchase of Commissioner’s Gin”.

“The Commission recommended that all NSWPF employees, including the Senior Executive and the Commissioner of Police are regularly reminded of their duty to declare any conflict of interest, including a perceived conflict of interest,” the LECC stated.

A report was provided to Police Minister Yasmin Catley on Tuesday which outlined the allegations, investigations and findings of the LECC.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley says the spending was investigated. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

During question time on Wednesday, Ms Catley defended the Commissioner’s decision to uphold the tradition of buying gifts for visiting dignitaries. However, she confirmed the spending will now be investigated by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.

“The police commissioner was made aware by the previous police commissioner of a precedent of ordering bottles of wine as courtesy gifts for visiting commissioners, for other dignitaries from other jurisdictions overseas and have also been used at charity events,” Ms Catley said.

“The commissioner ordered bottles of alcohol from the same supplier as the former commissioner did.

“All of us have given wine as a gift – it really does seem like quite an ordinary gift to me.”

The furore over the spending comes after former NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell resigned after admitting he misled a corruption tribunal about a $3000 bottle of Penfolds Grange red he was gifted by Australian Water Holdings in 2014.

The former premier was later cleared by ICAC of any wrongdoing in 2017.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb says she was simply upholding tradition. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Mr Fordham told his listeners on Wednesday it was important political figures, like Ms Webb, be held to account for spending taxpayers dollars.

“I think if there is more than one bottle of gin – it might be 10, it might be 20, it might be 50, it might be 100 – she’s been in the job for some time, she may have given many gifts, she may have donated many to charity and I don’t criticise her for that if she’s helping police legacy but because it’s public money, she’s going to have to come up with the answers I’d suggest pretty soon about how many bottles and where they went and what the total cost was,” Mr Fordham said.