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Saturday July 31, 2010

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Ashby found not guilty of perjury

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 9 February, 2010 - 10:58 AM


ABOVE: Former head of the Police Association, Paul Mullett, speaks to 3AW's Neil Mitchell about Noel Ashby being found not guilty of perjury today.

RELATED AUDIO:


REPORT: Former Assistant Police Commissioner Noel Ashby has been acquitted of perjury charges.

Ashby was facing 11 counts of perjury arising from evidence he gave at an Office Of Police Integrity inquiry in 2007.

But a ruling last week by Supreme Court Justice Robert Osborne which found the hearing was invalid because of a procedural mistake effectively meant prosecurors had no other evidence to lead against him.

The prosecutor told the court this morning there would be no appeal against last week's ruling, and as a result, no evidence would be led against Ashby.

Ashby's lawyer told the court that a verdict of 'not guilty' should be entered into the record, which is what Justice Osborne did.

Former Police Association boss Paul Mullett - who last year had perjury charges against him dropped - told 3AW Radio both he and Ashby will now consider whether to take legal action.

When quizzed by Mitchell as to what today's verdict means for the Office Of Police Integrity, Mullett made his opinion very clear.

"Today has got ot be the final nail in its coffin," Mullet said of the OPI.

Your feedback below could be read on air.

Blog comments Your Say

  • If you want to stop or discourage corruption in this state, you start off with an ICAC, staffed by totally independent investigators. You further legislate that ANY person who hinders, obstructs or delays any ICAC investigation is guilty of an offence and immediately liable to a significant term of imprisonment, INCLUDING immediate loss of all accrued superannuation entitlements. We already have bureaucrats perverting the course of justice, ONLY because there is NO independent authority to deal with these issues. An ICAC should have the same powers as a Royal Commissioner. Nothing will change whilst Brumby & his select group of Labor appointments remain in power. There has been systemic corruption in this state going back many decades. Lawyers & the Judiciary are aware of it, so are the NCA. The situation will never change whilst individual governments have total control over appointments & legal processes. There's too many 'sweetheart' deals conducted behind closed doors.

    Lenny Monday 22 February, 2010 - 12:53 AM

  • The OPI is a joke. If a working Victoria Police Detecive had made such a procedural error, after such a long Invesigation - he/she would have been dismissed, or at the least be demoted and replaced by someone with proven efficiency.

    BOB CARR Sunday 21 February, 2010 - 5:13 PM

  • Gerard, they must be living in fantasyland if they think Brumby is about to allow an ICAC in this state~! Brumby would NEVER allow any legal process where he has no control over the outcome~! I can hear those immortal words ringing in my ears - TRUST ME~! :)

    Lenny Tuesday 16 February, 2010 - 2:39 PM

  • Victoria certainly does have a 'Camel Jockey' Police Force!
    $40 million wasted.
    Laughable if it weren't so tragic. It certainly extends to other divisions of the Justice Department other than the OPI.
    The Traffic Camera Office is another such example. Totally pigheaded!
    As for so-called 'technicalities'; the following two links highlight yet another systemic failing within Victoria's judiciary. In particular, that of the Traffic Camera Office who tampers with alters and falsifies Traffic Camera Offence evidence and in doing so, prosecutes motorists under a false pretence of fact on the Traffic Infringement Notices they issue.
    Lenny, you of all people should find this rather interesting, for you're quicker than most on the uptake and with detail. :-)
    You'll have to highlight and past. They are two separate links as follows;

    http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AazTYuO--JQIZGZxdjhrNzJfOWo5NzZjemd2&hl=en

    Second link titled; Deciphering Time!

    http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AazTYuO--JQIZGZxdjhrNzJfN2dncjV0cmht&hl=en

    Gerard Tuesday 9 February, 2010 - 9:56 PM

  • Do you know why the Victorian Government hate the Mafia?......They hate Competition :) It was the computers fault !!!

    Ben Tuesday 9 February, 2010 - 9:55 PM

  • Hopefully now he'll be reinstated to his old job and made the new Police Commissioner so we can get rid of the current bloke in charge and have a real Police Force again, after all these years of left wing softly softly and growing disrespect for authority.

    Scott Tuesday 9 February, 2010 - 9:23 PM

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