Infamous crooked cop Roger Rogerson describes Whiskey Au Go Go killer as a ‘raging ratbag’

Australia’s most infamous bent cop Roger Rogerson has described the Whiskey Au Go Go killer as “nutty as a fruit cake”, but insisted there was no police cover-up.

Australia’s most infamous crooked cop has described a man jailed over a deadly inferno at a Brisbane nightclub in 1973 as a “raging ratbag” who was “nutty as a fruit cake”, while insisting there was no police cover-up.

Roger Rogerson has been a much-anticipated witness at an inquest investigating decades-old allegations into the Whiskey Au Go Go fire, which seeks to finally uncover the truth.

In a colourful appearance via video link from the notorious Long Bay jail, streamed into the Brisbane Coroners Court on Friday, Rogerson – a cop turned killer who has been depicted on TV miniseries – swore to the court to tell “everything but the truth”.

The ironic slip of the tongue came at the start of hours of intense questioning to determine whether Rogerson would spill any of Whiskey’s long-held secrets.

John Stuart and James Finch were jailed over the horror blaze at the club that killed 15 people.

Roger Rogerson. Picture: Adam Yip/The Daily Telegraph

Rogerson is the last living police officer who was in the room when Finch was interviewed, it was thought he may confirm rumours that he was bashed and verballed.

But Rogerson denied there was any cover-up and told the court it was a “genuine confession”.

Asked whether he believed the deadly fire was part of an extortion plot by Sydney criminals who hired Stuart, he said no.

Rogerson said Sydney crooks were far too clever to use a “raging ratbag” like Stuart in any plot because he was “nutty as a fruit cake”.

And what of the claims that Rogerson himself had been involved in threats towards the club because he was protecting a Sydney-based heroin racket?

“Completely untrue. I’ve never protected any heroin dealers. I hated heroin dealers to be quite truthful,” Rogerson told the court.

John Andrew Stuart. Picture: Library Nwn

Rogerson was an up-and-coming detective in 1973 when two barrels of fuel were rolled into the downstairs foyer of the popular Fortitude Valley nightclub and set alight, killing 15 of the 50-odd patrons who scrambled to escape the terrifying inferno.

Now, 49 years later, Rogerson is a convicted murderer, serving a life sentence for killing drug dealer Jamie Gao.

After a lauded 27-year policing career, he was sacked for misconduct in 1986 and was accused of conspiring to murder a fellow police officer before spending stints in jail for perverting the course of justice.

On Friday, Rogerson said the first time he heard of the Whiskey Au Go Go was when he received a call before sunrise on the morning of the fire from his colleague Detective Sergeant Noel Morey telling him they were going to Queensland to help local investigators.

“He gave me a ring at home and told me to make sure I had my bag packed, that we were going to Brisbane, there had been a dreadful fire at a nightclub and we had been directed to go there and assist the local detectives at the CIB there any way we could,” he said.

Rogerson said he, Det Morey and another officer from Victoria were asked to help with the investigation because of claims by Stuart that the fire was part of an extortion plot by criminals from interstate.

“ … what the local detectives there in Brisbane … asked us to do was to liaise with all these Mr Heavies in Sydney, the Lenny McPhersons and others, and talk to them all and see if there was a connection between Stuart and these other criminals…,” Rogerson said.

“But everyone we spoke to, they all realised John Andrew Stuart was a raging ratbag, he had a quick temper and he was a complete rat…”.

The Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub firebombing.

Rogerson said the criminals they spoke to said Stuart’s story was “rubbish” and many of them testified to that at the Whiskey trial.

Rogerson said he never believed Stuart’s assertions that the order for the blaze came from southern criminals.

“ … they’re (the crime bosses) all dead now themselves but Stuart was just a bloody rat bag, he was a complete rat, a complete rat, and nutty as a fruit cake and these guys I could never imagine these smart criminals, if you want to call them smart criminals, they would never have had anything to do with Stuart because he was an idiot,” Rogerson said.

“They would not have used Stuart, I am positive of that.

“And they all said they never had and never wanted to extort money from nightclubs in Brisbane.”

Rogerson is the last police officer alive who was in the room when James Finch gave his record of interview.

The interview has long been shrouded in controversy over claims Finch was bashed and verballed by police who were under immense pressure to secure a conviction.

Asked to comment on claims Finch’s record of interview was fabricated, Rogerson said that was not true.

“My recollection is the record of interview was factual and it took place and that, as you remarked, I initiated it along with (Det) Morey and others that were there at the time.”

Rogerson denied ever verballing a suspect in his entire policing career, including Finch.

“It certainly wasn’t a police verballing no, it was a genuine confession,” he said.

Rogerson denied having links to the drug trade in Sydney.

“I’ve never protected any heroin dealers,” he said.

“I hated heroin dealers to be quite truthful.”

The inquest continues before State Coroner Terry Ryan.

Originally published as Infamous crooked cop Roger Rogerson describes Whiskey Au Go Go killer as a ‘raging ratbag’