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| NEWS > 19 March 2007 |
Other related articles:
Fitzgerald put light on dark s
EXPECTATIONS were not high when Tony Fitzgerald, QC, was appointed 20 years ago to inquire into allegations of illegal activities within the police force and in high places. Queensland had lived through inquiries before with minimum effect on the way of life.
But as Fitzgerald was to find, corruption was endemic. His appointment followed six months' work by this newspaper after it set out to identify key figures running the seamier side of life in Fortitude Valley despite police assurances prostitution was unde... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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The Australian - Sydney,Austra
19 March 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Office of Police Integrity, Vi
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Police corruption links to hor
VICTORIA'S horse racing industry is being investigated oversuspected links to police corruption.
The state's police corruption watchdog has gained access to records including betting accounts, the registered owners of horses, the names of members of horse racing syndicates and the numbers of shares owned by individual syndicate members.
The records were obtained as part of investigations by the Office of Police Integrity into suspected offences by corrupt police, including money laundering and "money-making enterprises with convicted criminals".
The Australian Crime Commission is running a parallel investigation into the involvement of fugitive crime boss Antonios "Fat Tony" Mokbel in horse racing and large-scale betting.
The ACC forced Victorian bookmakers, trainers and jockeys to attend secret hearings at which they were unable to refuse to answer questions. The hearings are understood to be continuing.
Details of the OPI's investigation into links between horse racing and police corruption were revealed by the office of the Special Investigations Monitor, which oversees the way the OPI exercises its special powers.
In its annual report, tabled in parliament, it said horse racing records had been obtained as part of 123 summonses issued to organisations and financial institutions to hand over documents.
The OPI obtained bank statements, gambling records from gaming operators, sports-bet accounts, share portfolio records and details of interstate and overseas travel.
Records of police officers, their spouses and other family members have been searched.
"Some of the alleged activities being investigated by the OPI include theft of money, money laundering, money-making enterprises with convicted criminals, malfeasance, purchasing of property and serious misconduct," the special investigations monitor said.
"Summonses detailing the financial activities of persons additional to the investigation target are appropriate and necessary when investigating unexplained wealth by a police member."
An OPI spokesman confirmed the investigation into possible links between horse racing and suspected corrupt police, but said he could not comment further.
Mokbel's links to horse racing are well known, including his involvement in a betting ring known as the "tracksuit gang" that wagered large sums withbookmakers in a number ofstates.
In 1999, Mokbel and his wife, Carmel, were banned from owning race horses after an investigation by Victorian racing officials.
In 2001 it was revealed that a number of jockeys were being investigated over their association with Mokbel, including one who had been picked up on a police bug talking to the convicted drug trafficker.
Racing Victoria confirmed at the time it had interviewed several jockeys about their relationships with Mokbel, who disappeared in March last year in the closing stages of his trial on cocaine trafficking charges.
He is thought to have fled overseas.
A court was told in August that Mokbel's mistress Danielle McGuire had paid $272,000 into Betfair in London - an internet betting exchange - during the 18months before he disappeared.
The ACC, which has a special reference to target organised crime in Victoria, refused to comment on its investigation.
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