HEROIN DEALER SELECTED AS OLYMPIC TORCHBEARER

One of Australia's most notorious drug traffickers, and the man who supplied
heroin to the murdered prostitute Sallie-Anne Huckstepp, has been named as
one of the 10,000 torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame.

Warren Austin Richards, 49, is currently in maximum security in Long Bay
jail serving a 12-year sentence for conspiracy to import prohibited
substances, but was one of the Australian Olympic Committee's approved
nominations to carry the torch.

Richards, a former Australian judo champion, was given the honour as a
reward for his participation in the 1976 Montreal Games, where he was
eliminated in the first round of the lightweight division.

He was invited to take part in the torch relay, an offer he accepted in
early 1998. He has even paid $352 to purchase a replica of the torch that he
had hoped to be carrying.

But late last night the AOC was preparing to submit a recommendation to the
Sydney Olympic Games board to withdraw his place after being told by the
Herald of Richards's current residence.

"We had no idea," an AOC spokesman said.

"It is inappropriate for the AOC to endorse this Olympian - a person who has
a long criminal record - and who won't be released until well after the
Games to carry the Olympic torch.

"We will be recommending to the SOCOG board that his place be officially
withdrawn."

The spokesman would not confirm if Long Bay jail was on the route of the
Olympic torch relay.

A spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Corrective Services said "there was
no way" Richards would be allowed temporary release to carry the torch.

"He is doing a 12-year sentence, his earliest release date is 2006, he has
been in jail since 1998 and he is a maximum security prisoner. There is no
way he will participate," she said.

Richards was first arrested in 1974 and has been mentioned in evidence in
numerous court hearings in relation to the unsolved murder of Huckstepp, who
died in 1986.

He told the Wood Royal Commission that during his long criminal career
police had stolen from him or made up evidence against him.

He told the commission: "I don't pretend to be white as the driven snow but
sometimes it can be stretched a little too far."

The embarrassing gaffe by Olympic officials follows the decision to allow
Olympians who had tested positive to sports drugs to run in the torch relay.

A spokesman for the Acting Sport and Tourism Minister, Mr Hockey, distanced
the Federal Government from the controversy.

"We are not responsible for decisions that SOCOG and Michael Knight make,"
said the spokesman. "It is an issue of judgment for them."

Les Kennedy writes: Warren Austin Richards has already served 18 months of a
12-year sentence for conspiracy to import drugs, for which he received a
minimum term of eight years before he is eligible for parole in 2006.

He is classified A2 maximum security prisoner. Prisoners classified A1 are
isolated from other inmates.

He is serving his sentence at the maximum security Metropolitan Medical
Transit Centre at the Long Bay Prison complex, which also has exercise
facilities including an internal running track.