Justice slow for Kristina Keneally’s son; Anthony Albanese on top

Former senator Kristina Keneally. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Many moons have passed since Kristina Keneally’s son, an officer with the NSW Police Force, was confirmed to be under investigation for allegedly falsifying evidence against a civilian who wound up being sent to prison.

In a case that could defy the limits of what is definitionally corrupt, Senior Constable Daniel Keneally accused the young man, Luke Moore, of threatening to kill a detective during a telephone conversation held in February last year, a call which Moore fortunately recorded.

His house was raided the next day and he was chaperoned to Nowra Correctional Facility where he spent the next three weeks imprisoned with bail refused until the recording was uncovered and the charges withdrawn.

A letter of apology arrived a few months later on behalf of the state of NSW. It said: “The State accepts that SC Keneally was in error when he said that you wanted another police officer ‘dead’.” Moreover, the State equally regretted that Moore’s declarations of innocence were not examined “more expeditiously”, the letter stated.

Yes, what a great pity. Moore has already rejected several offers of compensation and is continuing to sue the NSWPF for upwards of $800,000.

Meanwhile, the NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission confirmed in December that it would investigate Keneally’s conduct but the matter has hitherto disappeared into a bottomless black hole without a syllable of further information.

But Margin Call can reveal that the LECC, which disgracefully refused to touch the matter in the first instance, has dispatched a brief of evidence to prosecutors seeking to know if criminal charges should be laid against Keneally.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions declined to comment, but we’re reliably informed that a leading official has completed an assessment of the LECC’s case, with their report currently undergoing review at the upper managerial levels of the agency.

A final decision is likely to be made by ODPP Director Sally Dowling SC.

The LECC confirmed in response to questions it had “taken a number of steps to progress the investigation with the matter remaining under consideration”, a response nearly as mystifying as what its officials actually do during their working hours.

This is the same agency that formally refused to investigate Moore’s complaint in the months after he was released from jail because, in their own words, “it is not a matter justifying investigation”.

Come again? If allegedly loading up a civilian on a false charge that leads to their imprisonment does not reach the threshold for LECC’s examination then we can only wonder what levels of depravity are required to pique their interest.

Does someone still need to be beaten with a bag of oranges, or a phone book, to get LECC’s attention these days?

As for Keneally, he remains employed by the NSWPF although a spokeswoman declined to formally confirm his status. The DPP has been given six months to provide their response, a time frame due to expire in the coming weeks.

It also appears that its deliberations skirted the mayhem of the federal election, where former senator Keneally stood for the Sydney seat of Fowler.

Then again, who can really say whether this matter would – had it come to light – have damaged her prospects, given they were so bad to begin with.

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Albo on top

We think he might have been kidding, but Anthony Albanese appeared to out himself at a cocktail function on Wednesday night as placing number one on the Financial Review’s annual Power List, which is yet to hit news stands.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The event at PwC Australia commanded ticket prices in the galaxy of $10,000 a pop. In exchange, attendees were permitted to breathe the same air as Albo and other members of the Labor team, including Mark Dreyfus, Michelle Rowland, Catherine King and Annika Wells, among others.

During an address to the gathered, the Prime Minister said he’d enjoyed a photo shoot that day and been quietly informed of his pole position on the AFR’s coveted list. Except, he added, that Scott Morrison had also made the cut, gazumping him with spots number one, two, three, four and five. Quite the knee-slapper.

Anyway, if it’s true then at least the Fin can redeem itself after its most unfortunate timing of 2021, when it placed former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at the top of its tower of power and allowed her to dominate its glossy cover … on the same day that she resigned over a corruption investigation.

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Teal territory

What better way to mark an election victory than by purchasing a new house?

That’s what Teal independent Allegra Spender did mere days after slaying the Liberal Party and claiming the Sydney seat of Wentworth on May 21.

Illustration: Rod Clement

The secluded pile at Great Mackerel Beach, on Sydney’s northern beaches, was secured for $1.8m (sans mortgage) just six days after polling stations closed.

It’s a tiny suburb serviced by a ferry and little else by way of public transport, with access limited to water taxis, boats and potentially, given the levels of wealth, some kind of hovercraft.

Forget about road access.