Cops reportedly paid expert almost $100k to testify against Zach Rolfe

Prosecutors reportedly may have paid a consultant almost $100,000 to testify against NT Police officer, Zach Rolfe, before dropping him from the witness list at his trial.

PROSECUTORS reportedly may have paid a consultant almost $100,000 to testify against NT Police officer, Zach Rolfe, before dropping him from the witness list at his trial.

Constable Rolfe was found not guilty last month of murdering 19-year-old Aboriginal man, Kumanjayi Walker, during an attempted arrest in Yuendumu in 2019.

On Monday, The Australian newspaper reported American criminologist, Geoffrey Alpert, billed taxpayers $99,750 after being approached to provide a report supporting the prosecution case in January 2020.

Prof Alpert, from the University of South Carolina, then reportedly altered his conclusions at the request of detectives several times before submitting his final report on March 31.

After failing to secure a local expert to testify against Const Rolfe, Superintendent Kirk Pennuto reportedly emailed Prof Alpert on January 6 to engage his services.

“Before progressing our discussions in any formal way, it is ­important that we make sure we are have (sic) a good fit otherwise I will struggle to be able to convince my bosses of the value in using your extensive expertise,” Supt Pennuto wrote in an email.

Supt Pennuto then reportedly provided a description of the shooting that included the detectives’ belief that Const Rolfe’s team had deliberately disobeyed orders.

“There is obviously a lot of subtext not referred to here that is ­easier left to a discussion via telephone,” he wrote.

Zach Rolfe arrives at the Supreme Court in March. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Supt Pennuto’s diary notes from January 9 reportedly state that they had “identified a funding exemption related to the use of ­expert witness”.

NT government documents also reportedly show that on January 22, NT police awarded Prof Alpert a contract for the “provision of professional services” worth $99,750 under a “selected” tender.

The Australia reports that Prof Alpert and NT Police did not respond to questions about whether the expert was paid the entire amount and whether he performed work for the government beyond producing his 12-page report.

According to the national broadsheet, emails show Prof Alpert sent multiple draft reports to the investigation’s bosses throughout February and March 2020, who would then request a phone call with him to discuss his findings.

The paper says one draft report was highly critical of investigators who interviewed witnesses after the shooting, saying those detectives failed to ask crucial questions.

When Prof Alpert shared his next draft report on February 28, all criticism of Const Rolfe’s superiors and detectives had reportedly been removed.

Prof Alpert went on to testify at a committal hearing in Alice Springs in September but did not appear at Const Rolfe’s trial last month.