POLICE STOLE AND TRIED TO SELL DRUGS: INQUIRY TOLD

THE royal commission into alleged WA police corruption has begun examining
claims a group of officers tried to sell for $18,000 prescription morphine
tablets they stole in a raid on a Perth man's house.

Commissioner Geoffrey Kennedy QC began hearing evidence in public hearings
today for the first time since the $15 million commission opened briefly on
April 28 to offer corrupt officers a brief amnesty in return for confessions.

The commission has not disclosed the number, if any, of officers who
accepted the deal.

Counsel assisting, Peter Hastings QC opened today's proceedings with
evidence which suggested a group of six Kalgoorlie and Perth detectives
conspired to steal a Perth man's prescription morphine stash and sell it.

Two officers allegedly raided the Perth man's house on June 26, 1998, and
stole 950 tablets from the man's bedroom.

Mr Hastings said the allegation was supported by a police report which said
that after the officers left, the man rang police saying his prescription
stash had been stolen by criminals waving bogus police identification.

The alleged evidence was gathered in a joint police internal affairs unit
and Anti-Corruption Commission sting after an informant called Christos
Trifon told police the group of officers were dealing the drugs.

Mr Trifon was given $18,000 to buy the drugs and was recorded meeting with
one of the officers in December and January.

However, he later confessed to keeping all but $700 of the money and lying
to the IAU about handing it to the corrupt officers.

Mr Hastings said the sting failed to gather enough evidence to convince a
jury the officers were corrupt because of Trifon's deception.

Despite this, the evidence warranted reinvestigation because it strongly
suggested the officers, two of whom have been sacked and one of whom has
resigned, were engaged in corrupt behaviour, Mr Hastings said.