Western Australia’s Corruption and Crime Commission is launching its own probe into why double-murderer Mark Bombara was allowed to obtain and hold a gun licence and own 13 firearms.
The bombshell announcement was contained in a CCC report tabled in parliament that assessed an internal investigation into WA Police’s actions leading up to Bombara’s shooting of Jennifer Petelczyc and her 18-year-old daughter Gretl in May last year, before he turned his legally owned gun on himself.
Jennifer Petelczyc and daughter Gretl Petelczyc.
The CCC report tabled in parliament on Wednesday said the Internal Affairs investigation was reasonable, as was the findings against the officers.
However, the CCC said early on it became concerned the investigation “may be being improperly influenced by a desire to mitigate the risk of reputational damage to WA Police” and wrote to Commissioner Col Blanch to raise these concerns.
“The commission considered that the approach then being taken to investigating the incident possibly indicated a lack of objectivity and that risks associated with the police response to the incident had not been fully analysed and understood,” the report read.
The CCC said after it wrote to the commissioner, the investigation changed into a more “positive direction”.
“The Commission concludes the WA Police investigation was conducted impartially and the outcomes reached were reasonable,” it said.
While it backed the Internal Affairs Unit’s broad findings, the CCC took issue with its findings on Bombara’s ability to get and retain a gun licence after receiving an allegation that WA Police did not appropriately review his suitability to hold one.
Blanch told the commission WA Police didn’t intend to conduct a separate investigation into this issue but that it would compile the issue into a single report.
This prompted the CCC to start its own investigation named Operation Arkanes.
“The Commissioner of Police considers that a single report will ensure that WA Police take an integrated and comprehensive approach to all relevant issues,” the CCC report said.
“The Commission considers that a single report does not sufficiently meet its requirements for monitoring and reviewing a WA Police investigation into a specific allegation of possible police misconduct.”
At a press conference in January, Blanch said the report found eight police officers had failed to perform their duties, with “internal disciplinary action” already taken.
The CCC report revealed that in addition to the eight police found to have breached the WA Police Code of Conduct and disciplined, two officers were exonerated and the allegation of a breach of the code was not sustained against five officers.
Blanch thanked the CCC for its investigation and said he would support its investigation into Bombara’s firearms ownership.
He said that the investigation may relate to the firearms licensing process two decades ago.
“As Commissioner of Police, I am not able to investigate misconduct of former officers. I only have the authority to investigate misconduct of current officers; however, the CCC can investigate both past and present police officers for misconduct,” he said.
Blanch said 13 of the 18 recommendations from WA Police’s internal reports had been implemented, with the remaining five relating to non-police agencies.
Crisis support is available from Lifeline 13 11 14. National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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