Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

The ancient question above translates as "who will watch the watchers?". It is very much brought to mind when we read below that an Australian police officer who was put in charge of "cleaning up" police practices was himself a thuggish lawbreaker. It appears that there is also a Mexico Down Under

A SENIOR Victorian policeman who was appointed to clean up the troubled armed offenders squad has been charged along with three squad detectives over the alleged bashing of a suspect during questioning. Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin is the most senior officer charged by the Office of Police Integrity since it was formed by the Bracks Government three years ago. He has been charged along with suspended detective Robert Dabb and former detectives Mark Butterfield and Matthew Franc following explosive public OPI hearings last September that caused a schism between Commissioner Christine Nixon and the police union chief.

The hearings revealed secret video recordings of officers allegedly slapping, punching and kicking an armed robbery suspect in an interview room. Rankin, a former head of the homicide squad who is now on secondment with the Australian Federal Police in the Solomon Islands, is facing charges of "counselling or procuring" the alleged bashing.

His charges stem from tapes aired at the public hearings in which he was allegedly heard speaking to a suspect who was later allegedly beaten with a telephone after asking to make a call. On the tape, Rankin allegedly said: "I suggest you listen to some of the advice the boys are going to give you. It might be a lot less painful and a lot easier for you, all right?"

Rankin was appointed by force command to reform the controversial armed offenders squad, which was disbanded by Ms Nixon shortly before the public hearings.

The other three former squad members have been charged with a total of 23 counts of unlawful assault. All four former squad members have been charged with summary offences, which means a magistrate, rather than a jury, will rule on their case.

The laying of charges has reignited animosity between the OPI and the police union, which labelled last year's public hearings a "Spanish inquisition" because the detectives were denied the right to silence. Police Association secretary Paul Mullett yesterday questioned why it had taken so long to lay charges and why they were not being heard before a jury.
"Finally these members, who have been entitled to the fundamental principle at law of the presumption of innocence, will have their opportunity to defend themselves before a proper court," he said.

"This is unlike the previous process of attempting to convict them in the court of public opinion." Mr Mullett said he had serious doubts about whether the officers would receive a fair hearing because of the publicity surrounding last year's public hearings.

It is likely that graphic video footage shown at the public hearings but never released to the media will be aired in court.

During the public hearings it was revealed that a bungled search for a shotgun and stash of jewellery believed to belong to a suspect named "A100" sparked a two-hour interrogation in which he was allegedly bashed by detectives. At one stage, "A100" was allegedly struck once with each word: "F---ing . armed . robbery . squad."

Evidence aired at the hearings included footage of officers allegedly hitting the suspect, causing his ear to bleed. An officer is heard on the tape telling the suspect during the beating that: "That ear's coming off by the end of the day."

Franc, Butterfield and Dabb all denied before the public hearings that they were involved in the assault of the suspect.
Butterfield and Franc resigned from the force earlier this year while facing internal disciplinary charges. Dabb is suspended along with another member of the disbanded squad who is not facing any charges.

The squad was rebadged the Emerald taskforce last year but, after union pressure, renamed the Armed Offenders Taskforce.
The OPI and Victoria Police declined to comment on yesterday's filing of charges against the officers.


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