Queensland Police threat to take DNA tests interstate

Queensland Police threatened to send forensic testing of roadside blood alcohol samples to a NSW lab to get a ‘better deal’, the DNA inquiry has heard.

Forensic lab scientists Kylie Rika (left) and Ingrid Moeller outside the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court, where the DNA inquiry is being held. Picture David Clark

Queensland Police threatened to send forensic testing of roadside blood alcohol samples to a NSW lab to get a “better deal”, the DNA inquiry has heard.

Former executive director of Forensic and Scientific Services in Queensland Health, Paul Csoban, was questioned on Thursday about the sequence of events which left some whistleblowing scientists at Queensland’s DNA lab, part of FSS, feeling threatened.

One of the questions being examined by the Commission of Inquiry, led by Walter Sofronoff KC, is the relationship between police and lab management, and why the lab ceased fully testing some crime scene samples in 2018.

One suggestion has been that police were pressuring the lab to improve the speed of processing samples.

Some lab scientists were attempting to raise problems with the quality of the lab’s work, including evidence that sperm from alleged rapists was going undetected in samples.

The inquiry has heard allegations the lab’s managers ignored or minimised those concerns and created a culture of fear, where scientists were afraid to speak up.

Scientist Ingrid Moeller said in a statement to the inquiry that at a January 2018 meeting, Mr Csoban said scientists’ “jobs could be outsourced if we didn’t perform better.”

Dr Moeller said in her statement: “The meeting was disturbing and very upsetting” and accused Mr Csoban and lab boss Cathie Allen of engaging in “intimidation”.

In evidence on Thursday Mr Csoban said about the 2018 meeting: “That was in relation to QPS (Queensland Police Service), threatening us with shifting to New South Wales. For instance, the blood alcohol levels roadside testing – there were a number of occasions where QPS actually did suggest that they might – they would get a better deal from New South Wales if they sent all their work to them.

“I merely pointed out that this was an option. I did not say the jobs were at risk.”

Commissioner Walter Sofronoff asked Mr Csoban why he would tell DNA-testing staff about the possibility of losing roadside-testing work, which was performed by another lab.

“That’s a good question. I’m kinda confused now about that,” Mr Csoban said.

“I’m pretty sure I never said there would be job losses. I think that was a misstatement on whoever said that.”

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