COPS CANNOT RECALL KEY DRUG DOLLARS DETAILS

Two Sydney detectives at the centre of an inquiry into thousands of drug
dollars which allegedly disappeared during a raid could not recall key
details of the incident today.

Neither appeared to remember who officially counted the money, who first
found it, or how it managed to get from the scene of the 1992 Manly drug
raid to the police station.

The officers, who entered the witness box of the NSW Police Integrity
Commission (PIC) today, could not recall how officers from the Major Crime
Squad North came to be involved in what was initially an investigation of
somebody smoking marijuana in a room of the Manly Pacific Hotel.

During the search, three police uncovered a substantial amount of money.

Robert Monk, now a sergeant at Redfern, was a detective senior constable at
the time of the investigation and the officer heading the search.

He told the PIC today he did not remember if he entered Room 506 before
gaining the search warrant, or why the skills of a detective were needed to
investigate such a minor matter.

He said he gained a warrant on the basis of information from a security
staff member at the hotel, codenamed M7, who passed on the drug allegation.

He told Operation Florida he only learned later that a hotel staff member
had earlier been into the hotel room and discovered a large sum of money.

Acting Commissioner Tim Sage said he found it hard to believe Detective
Monk could not recall significant details about the largest amount of drug
money he had seized during his career to that date.

Mr Sage questioned how Det Monk managed to recall that the magistrate he
had sought a search warrant from had been under pressure and about to take
lunch, but not details about who had custody of the money.

"But you sighted the largest amount of money that you have seen in your
experience and you can't remember who took it from the hotel to the police
station when you were the officer in charge," Mr Sage said.

Det Monk said the events in question had happened nearly 10 years ago and
he had been involved in many investigations.

The officer claimed he had been "peeved" someone had entered the room
before the search warrant, but it did not prompt him to clearly remember
whether he had earlier entered the room.

Despite having limited recollection of the incident, Det Monk was adamant
there could not have been more money than the $85,500 recorded by police.

The drug money belonged to a dealer codenamed A1, who had left it in the
care of his sidekick P1.

A1 has given evidence there was about $137,000 in a bag at this raid.

P1, who counted it, said there should have been $107,000.

The arresting police said there was only $85,500.

Det Monk also said he had a vague memory of assigning officer Miles Adams
to the role of property officer, which includes taking care of exhibits.

However, Sergeant Adams told the commission he had no memory of this
instruction, or of who had taken charge of transporting the money or P1.

"I can't remember counting it," he added, saying that some bundles had been
pulled out of the bag and returned at the scene.

But he could not recall who had done this.

Det Monk rejected a suggestion by counsel assisting the commission, Mark
Buscombe, that Manly detectives and officers of the Major Crime Squad North
had agreed to take some of the money.