Pubdate: Sun, 17 Jun 2001
Source: Sun-Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 John Fairfax Holdings Ltd
Contact:  http://www.sunherald.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/431
Author: Candace Sutton
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

TOP POLICE SUE OVER 'SMEAR'

A dozen of the State's former top police investigators are suing the NSW 
Police Service and Police Commissioner Peter Ryan in a multimillion-dollar 
class action.

The former members of Task Force Bax, an elite investigative group 
disbanded in disgrace at the height of a police corruption inquiry, filed a 
representative suit in the District Court last week claiming $750,000 each 
in damages due to negligence.

Task Force Bax was set up in February 1996 to investigate drug activity in 
Kings Cross and other matters arising from the Wood royal commission into 
police corruption.

But in December 1997 Mr Ryan held a news conference to announce that a 
secret investigation called Operation Gymea had made dawn raids on drug 
premises and flushed out corrupt police, including members of Bax.

Mr Ryan sat at College Street headquarters next to Assistant Commissioner 
Mal Brammer, the Internal Affairs Branch commander and Mr Ryan's right-hand 
man on Operation Gymea. The Police Integrity Commission subsequently found 
some officers in the task force had been involved in misconduct, improper 
practices and corrupt activities.

One former member of Bax, Bob Irwin, was jailed, while others resigned or 
were charged with official corruption during PIC hearings over the past two 
years.

The Gymea exercise drained the NSW Police Service of much of its 
investigating expertise and several senior officers, one of whom was 
subsequently cleared by a court.

A number of the officers involved in the District Court action will claim 
wrongful dismissal and seek damages, complaining that the investigation treated

every member of the task force like a criminal and did not use sufficient 
care to avoid smearing innocent officers.

The officers, backed by the NSW Police Association, will say their careers 
and reputations have suffered as a result of being part of the Bax group.

The police lawsuit is not the only forthcoming re-examination of Internal 
Affairs' investigations.

The police service has ordered a secret new task force, headed by Detective 
Chief Superintendent Brian Reith from Crime Agencies, to review all the 
integrity tests conducted by Internal Affairs.

One of these tests relates to a sting operation of police and drug dealers 
in the town of Young, with allegations that an Internal Affairs officer may 
have lied to Supreme Court judges to get authorisation for listening devices. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake