CORRUPT COP JAILED

A POLICEMAN who helped a junior colleague steal and traffic drugs
has been jailed for four months after vowing to teach police
recruits about corruption when released. The detective senior
constable, who can't be identified, pleaded guilty to misconduct in
public office, drug trafficking and theft, but received
a discounted sentence for his offer to give evidence against the
other policeman.

He admitted attending two fake raids with the other officer, a
constable, and stealing cannabis crops from growers in January and
February this year.

In January the pair arrived at a house in Werribee and produced a
document they said was a warrant. They then took garbage bags of
drugs, which were not entered into police logs. No warrant existed.

A month later an informer told the constable his uncle had a
cannabis crop and the two officers signed out guns, equipment and an
unmarked police car to go to the property on their day off.

They showed the occupant, who didn't understand English, a paper
they said was a warrant and seized 18 plants.

The constable told the occupant if he paid them cash he would avoid
prosecution.

At a later meeting the drug grower handed $8000 to the constable
while the senior detective sat in a car and waited but did nothing
to stop the extortion.

The officers and the informer hid the stolen plants at another house
to be dried out, but plans to sell the crop for profit were dashed
when the tenant discovered the plants while showing the property to
potential home buyers and called police.

When the ethical standards division took over the investigation,
both the informer and the senior detective made statements
implicating the constable.

The judge said the senior detective had offered to speak at the
police academy about corruption and his own experiences, despite
humiliation it would bring him.

The senior detective was jailed for a year, but eight months was
suspended for two years. The informer received a six-month term
suspended for three years.

The constable is due to face a preliminary hearing in the
magistrates' court next month.