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上传时间: 2014-10-13 浏览次数:681次
Six SA police officers face theft and abuse of public office charges
Mon, Oct 13, 2014
A joint investigation involving the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) and SA Police Anti-Corruption Branch led to the arrests early today of six of the seven officers in the Sturt local service area in Adelaide's southern suburbs.
The six plain-clothes officers will face charges of property-related theft and abuse of public office.
Police Commissioner Gary Burns told reporters the Anti-Corruption Branch started investigating early this year and formally notified the ICAC Commissioner of the matter.
The officers - a sergeant and five senior constables - were part of Operation Mantle, an investigation into drug-related crime, and all had now been suspended from duty, Mr Burns said.
Under Section 56 of ICAC legislation, ICAC Commissioner Bruce Lander authorised police to publish and discuss details of the arrests.
Mr Burns said he was disappointed at the allegations against the six officers and worried about the impact for the wider force.
"This is disappointing, the allegations are very disappointing," he said.
"We work on reputation, we need public confidence and public support so that actions any police officers involved in any criminality or offending does have an impact."
South Australia's ICAC formally started operating just over a year ago, with a range of strict and secretive legislative protocols.
It prompted Mr Lander to recommend late last year that the SA Government ease some secrecy provisions of the legislation.
The ICAC Commissioner said the act had been over-engineered regarding confidentiality.