RAGNO CHARGED OVER BOMB CLAIM

Police have charged anti-drugs campaigner Shane Ragno with making a false
report after he claimed a petrol bomb was thrown at his Ocean Reef home in
January.

Investigating officer Det-Sgt Darryl Cox said police would allege Mr Ragno
was involved in the firebombing.

The charges come after Joondalup detectives and forensic officers spent
more than two hours searching Mr Ragno's Southern Cross Circle home on
January 10, shortly after the incident.

"Evidence was located at the residence and items were seized," Sgt Cox
said. "After a forensic examination of this and other items we have then
laid the charge."

After the incident, Mr Ragno said a bottle of petrol with a flaming rag was
thrown at the house from a small, silver Ford driving slowly past about 9am.

He also said he burnt his hand trying to get the bottle from under a car in
the carport and had to use a garden hose to put the flames out.

Mr Ragno - whose son Shane died from a drug overdose in 1999 - leads a
community group called Parents Against Drug Dealers.

Sgt Cox said police were still investigating Mr Ragno's claim that in
October last year he was assaulted by two men wearing balaclavas.

"We're not saying the two incidents are related," Sgt Cox said. "We are
just looking at the one incident."

Mr Ragno, who is to appear in Joondalup Magistrate's Court on February 28,
said he would be vigorously defending the charge.

"This is total rubbish," Mr Ragno said. "This is a set-up by the police to
discredit me and it is not going to work."