The World Today - Thursday, 14 October , 2004 12:41:00
Reporter: Jayne-Maree Sedgman
HAMISH ROBERTSON: The New South Wales Police Integrity Commission has heard yet more allegations about the activities of a corrupt Sydney detective already accused of tipping off a paedophile and accepting money from a murder suspect.
And this morning, Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock was at the centre of a political row - that he'd been asked to review the police handling of an alleged gang rape case despite being under investigation himself.
The parents of a 14-year-old girl - who says she was pack raped earlier this year - have called for the Police Minister John Watkins to resign over the matter.
Mr Watkins has apologised to the family - but says it was entirely appropriate that he was not informed of the investigation surrounding Chris Laycock.
Jayne-Maree Sedgman reports.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: One can only imagine how the family of a Sydney girl felt when they realised Christopher Laycock was the detective tasked with reviewing the police's decision not to pursue her allegations she'd been gang raped earlier this year.
Burwood detectives told the family they were not convinced the case would lead to a conviction. When the family complained, Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock was told to review the investigation. He reported no adverse findings in relation to the police handling of the matter.
Not satisfied, the family then went to the Police Minister John Watkins. He later wrote back saying Detective Laycock had conducted a full and thorough investigation of their complaint. The girl's father, known only as Ian, spoke to AM.
IAN: Look, initially I was quite mortified by that finding from the Minister of Police – the most senior office. I thought, well, you know, how did you come up with that? And here he is endorsing this guy, and Detective Laycock, as we know, is been guilty of corruption, and his last act of corruption was – what was it - 22nd of July, whilst he was still investigating our complaint.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: Today, Mr Watkins said it was entirely appropriate that he was not told Laycock was himself the subject of a corruption investigation.
JOHN WATKINS: This raises two issues. One – the independence of the corruption investigation and fighting agencies, both within the police, special crime and internal affairs, and the PIC … and my view is, and I think quite appropriately, is that that is independent and should be independent from the minister. I should not be involved in operational matters, especially in relation to corruption.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: But Opposition Leader John Brogden is having none of it.
JOHN BROGDEN: Well it's a demonstration of absolute incompetence by the Police Minister, John Watkins. We have a very serious case here that I think deserves a proper and thorough reinvestigation, not by a police officer who's under investigation by the Police Integrity Commission for severe corruption.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: The Minister has now asked the Police Integrity Commission, the Ombudsman, Police Internal Affairs, and an independent police review team to re-examine the girl's accusations and the manner in which the case was handled.
Mr Watkins says while others knew Laycock was under investigation, they were obliged to keep quiet so as not to alert him.
JOHN WATKINS: The PIC knew that this officer was being investigated. Laycock was part of the complaint management team in the Burwood local area command, and this raises one of the real difficulties with corruption investigation – if the PIC is involved in investigating a corrupt police officer, how much can they do to remove that officer from operational policing and not tip them off? And thereby not get information about them or potentially links to other corrupt police officers.
This has been a challenge to corruption fighting agencies since the Police Royal Commission days.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: But, it still begs the question, why was Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock, who worked at Burwood Station, asked to investigate his colleagues in the first place. The corrupt detective is expected to face further allegations when he fronts the PIC this afternoon.
HAMISH ROBERTSON: Jayne-Maree Sedgman reporting there.
And this morning, Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock was at the centre of a political row - that he'd been asked to review the police handling of an alleged gang rape case despite being under investigation himself.
The parents of a 14-year-old girl - who says she was pack raped earlier this year - have called for the Police Minister John Watkins to resign over the matter.
Mr Watkins has apologised to the family - but says it was entirely appropriate that he was not informed of the investigation surrounding Chris Laycock.
Jayne-Maree Sedgman reports.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: One can only imagine how the family of a Sydney girl felt when they realised Christopher Laycock was the detective tasked with reviewing the police's decision not to pursue her allegations she'd been gang raped earlier this year.
Burwood detectives told the family they were not convinced the case would lead to a conviction. When the family complained, Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock was told to review the investigation. He reported no adverse findings in relation to the police handling of the matter.
Not satisfied, the family then went to the Police Minister John Watkins. He later wrote back saying Detective Laycock had conducted a full and thorough investigation of their complaint. The girl's father, known only as Ian, spoke to AM.
IAN: Look, initially I was quite mortified by that finding from the Minister of Police – the most senior office. I thought, well, you know, how did you come up with that? And here he is endorsing this guy, and Detective Laycock, as we know, is been guilty of corruption, and his last act of corruption was – what was it - 22nd of July, whilst he was still investigating our complaint.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: Today, Mr Watkins said it was entirely appropriate that he was not told Laycock was himself the subject of a corruption investigation.
JOHN WATKINS: This raises two issues. One – the independence of the corruption investigation and fighting agencies, both within the police, special crime and internal affairs, and the PIC … and my view is, and I think quite appropriately, is that that is independent and should be independent from the minister. I should not be involved in operational matters, especially in relation to corruption.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: But Opposition Leader John Brogden is having none of it.
JOHN BROGDEN: Well it's a demonstration of absolute incompetence by the Police Minister, John Watkins. We have a very serious case here that I think deserves a proper and thorough reinvestigation, not by a police officer who's under investigation by the Police Integrity Commission for severe corruption.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: The Minister has now asked the Police Integrity Commission, the Ombudsman, Police Internal Affairs, and an independent police review team to re-examine the girl's accusations and the manner in which the case was handled.
Mr Watkins says while others knew Laycock was under investigation, they were obliged to keep quiet so as not to alert him.
JOHN WATKINS: The PIC knew that this officer was being investigated. Laycock was part of the complaint management team in the Burwood local area command, and this raises one of the real difficulties with corruption investigation – if the PIC is involved in investigating a corrupt police officer, how much can they do to remove that officer from operational policing and not tip them off? And thereby not get information about them or potentially links to other corrupt police officers.
This has been a challenge to corruption fighting agencies since the Police Royal Commission days.
JAYNE-MAREE SEDGMAN: But, it still begs the question, why was Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock, who worked at Burwood Station, asked to investigate his colleagues in the first place. The corrupt detective is expected to face further allegations when he fronts the PIC this afternoon.
HAMISH ROBERTSON: Jayne-Maree Sedgman reporting there.
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