Queensland Police Union
President Ian Leavers.
BrisbaneTimes.com.au
The Queensland Police Union has slammed the Crime and Misconduct Commission's investigation into former police officer Adam Magill, who was yesterday acquitted of lying to a magistrate to get murderer Bevan Meninga out of prison for a day.
Moments after a Brisbane District Court jury returned a not guilty verdict on a charge of making a false statement which had been laid against Mr Magill following a CMC investigation, union president Ian Leavers said the body was "failing Queenslanders every day".
Mr Leavers, who was a spectator during the trial and was present for yesterday's verdict, said the CMC "should be ashamed of themselves".
"This is a shoddy investigation, the way it was conducted is nothing short of disgraceful," he said.
"If police conducted an investigation like this the CMC would have them charged for failing to do their job."
Mr Leavers said it was quite clear the CMC was "anti-police" and "insistent in destroying decent people".
He said the CMC had wasted millions of dollars conducting "substandard investigations".
"Because they have an agenda trying to justify their own existence," Mr Leavers said.
"The CMC is becoming a rogue organisation with limited or no success and really [they have] no one to answer to. They are failing Queenslanders every day."
However, when Mr Leavers was asked if he believed it was appropriate that convicted murderers get a day out of prison to see their family at a police station, he said police had to do many things "to keep murderers and rapists and those who really threaten our community behind bars".
"It is not possible to interview people in a prison environment at all times when they want to confess or provide other information. Police have to be given discretion and latitude to do their job," he said.
