Pubdate: Tue, 09 Apr 2002
Source: Australian Associated Press (Australia Wire)
Copyright: 2002 Australian Associated Press
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n686/a09.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

DEALER 'SOLD LSD FOR POLICE'

A DRUG dealer has told a police corruption inquiry he had sold LSD on 
behalf of officers and paid them bribes in a bid to get lighter sentences. 
The drug dealer turned police informant, dubbed P4, told the Police 
Integrity Commission hearing in Sydney he paid former Drug Enforcement 
Agency detectives about $45,000 for "letters of assistance" in order to get 
a lighter sentence for himself and his sister.

The Operation Florida hearing is investigating allegations of corruption by 
DEA detectives and the use of "letters of assistance" or "letters of 
comfort" tendered by police in sentencing procedures.

The documents detail alleged assistance provided by informants and have at 
times led to a 60 per cent reduction in sentences.

P4 today told the hearing he had dug up drug money from hidden backyard 
burial spots to pay former Detective Sergeant Guy Wilding - a sometime 
consultant on the TV drama Stingers - and Detective Senior Constable 
Michael Kempnich for the letters when he and his sisters were up on drug 
charges.

The drug dealer also told how he had dobbed in his friend and flatmate for 
being in possession of 10,000 LSD tablets.

When asked by counsel assisting the Commission, Mark Buscomb, why he would 
inform detectives about the activities of his friend he said it was for money.

"In the past they (the police) mentioned if I had information about the 
obtaining of drugs ... they'd give me some money or I'd be able to sell 
(drugs) for them," P4 said.

He alleged that a few days later Wilding provided him with LSD to sell. P4 
said he had assumed it had come from his flatmate, dubbed F3.

However P4 today said he did not get a cut of the $10,000 garnered from the 
sale of the illicit drug.

The hearing before Acting Commissioner Tim Sage is continuing.
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