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NEWS: Victorian Detective on drugs charges denied bail

johnboy

johnboy

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Continuing my long running coverage of this scandal...

Detective on drugs charges denied bail

By Selma Milovanovic
March 19 2003

Victoria's most experienced drug squad detective was refused bail yesterday on charges of drug trafficking and threatening to kill.

Magistrate Lisa Hannan ruled that Wayne Geoffrey Strawhorn, 48, a suspended detective senior sergeant, posed an unacceptable risk of interfering with witnesses whom he had threatened to kill.

In the Melbourne Magistrates Court, Ms Hannan said she was particularly concerned that Strawhorn had recently allegedly threatened to kill a senior police corruption investigator. "The stakes are high and, in my view, the risks are real," she said.

Strawhorn, a policeman with 30 years experience, is charged with organising pseudoephedrine deals worth at least $55,000. Three weeks ago he became the most senior policeman to be suspended since the Ceja taskforce, which investigates police corruption, was set up in 2001.

Prosecutor Boris Kayser had told the court that Strawhorn, a member of the drug squad for 15 years, had a former colleague buy pseudoephedrine from a Melbourne chemical company on five occasions between October 1999 and May 2000.

The drugs, which cost $170 a kilogram, were then sold on the illicit drug market for $10,000 a kilogram through a registered police informer, the court heard. None of the transactions were authorised by Victoria Police.

The court heard that in a conversation with a witness last Saturday, secretly taped by police, Strawhorn allegedly said he would "not rest" until he killed a senior drug squad investigator "to get satisfaction".

The widowed father of three had also allegedly threatened to kill his former colleague and a police informer.

Ms Hannan said the allegations struck at the very heart of the criminal justice system.

Defence barrister Geoff Chettle had questioned the credibility of prosecution evidence that came from co-conspirators with a "vested interest". But Ms Hannan said this argument was "of no real assistance to the applicant (Strawhorn)".

The court was told that police had no evidence of money from drug deals going into Strawhorn's bank accounts.

Ms Hannan said that in making her decision (to remand Strawhorn in custody), she was mindful of the delay in preparing financial evidence and phone intercept transcripts for a preliminary hearing, and the risks Strawhorn might face in custody, but he had not met the test of exceptional circumstances.

Strawhorn faces one charge of conspiring to traffic a commercial quantity of pseudoephedrine, conspiring to traffic pseudoephedrine, trafficking in pseudoephedrine, three charges of threatening to kill and one of theft. He will face court again on July 28.

This story was found at:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/18/1047749770712.html
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corruption goes right to the top.. it beats the hell out of a police pay cheque i guess.
 
yeah, who's good with math? what's that work out to as a percentage profit?
 
Yeah this is unfortunate in a sense.

The issues regarding this topic are more than just corruption. There are many issues within life that involve the governement and other authorities that are dealt with in the manner of ......dictatorship, with limited reason i suppose.

If you think about it, anyone, with the exception of those few who are absolutely moralistic will take advantage of positions they are in, if they feel that they are not being rewarded appropiately, whether it be financial or otherwise.

I think most of us are aware of the huge profit marging available regarding drugs, and it would be stupid to think that the coppers, let alone the D's don't know either.

Like Cowboy Mac said, beats the hell out of a police cheque.

BUT.....I remeber a story that a South African gentle told me once when i was in another occupation.

He said
it's important to realise that corruption starts at the bottom, not at the top.
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If the people at the top do not have the support of the masses at the bottom, it will eventually fall apart. He told me that that Australia is such good country, because the level of corruption at the lowest level, for example at a milk bar, or supermarkets or things like that.

It made me think, and I was feeling pretty patriotic that moment, realising that yes Australians do have that sort of mentality. But i think that if governments/employers, or people in positions that need to give recognition to people underneath them do not keep doing so, or improve this, i think our levels of corruption will increase.

Makes me think about countries such as germany, or other european countries, besides how bland they are, they do have some things together. ( i think - havent researched it)
just a thought.
 
fucken oath thats a big markup but dont believe the media.
it just great to see a c*nt get a taste of thier own medicine
 
$10,000 sale price, $170 purchase price = approx. 5500-6000% markup.

BigTrancer :)
 
Just to prove that I can still do algebra....

The markup is 5882.35% (to 2 decimal places)

:\
 
Shouldn't there be a 'NEWS: Victorian Police Corruption Thread' on it's own?

I just see so many articles in the The Age and Herald Sun about another cop getting charged with this-that drug related thing or other almost every week.

I love Victoria. :)
 
hoptis said:
Shouldn't there be a 'NEWS: Victorian Police Corruption Thread' on it's own?
Click to expand...

Actually there is this one, where I've put most of the other stories. I just thought it was time for a new thread.

And remember, it isn't just Victoria who has corrupt police, it's just that we seem to be catching a few of them in the act. These things are cyclical. In a few years it will be another state's turn.
 
^^ Right on... there was a time, a few years back when you couldn't say the worlds "QLD Coppers" without people sniggering. Of course, they still do, but that's beside the point LOL

BigTrancer :)
 
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