PETER MICKELBUROUGH
Herald Sun
February 02, 2014 SEVENTEEN police are accused of trying to derail an investigation into a fellow officer who crashed his car into a hotel while more than twice the legal blood-alcohol limit.
Two officers have already been sacked and two others have resigned.
The network of accused crooked cops includes a superintendent, an inspector, a senior sergeant, four sergeants, six leading senior constables, three senior constables and a police public servant.
Documents released to the Herald Sun under Freedom of Information laws reveal an 18-month probe by the force's internal investigators.
It was overseen by the OPI and IBAC and led to 10 of the group being accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice by interfering in an investigation while six other officers and a police public servant were accused of failing to obey orders.
Inspector Mark Edwards, transferred from Bendigo to Maryborough early last year, was suspended without pay in August after being charged with perjury and misleading the Office of Police Integrity.
Police sources told the Herald Sun the corruption probe centres on an investigation into former Bendigo senior constable Dean Robinson.
Robinson crashed his car into the Queens Arms Hotel, Bendigo, in November 2011.
No one was injured but Robinson fled the scene and drove home, where he later recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.111.
Robinson admitted drinking heavily at another hotel before getting into his car and pleaded guilty to drink-driving, dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident last March.
He was fined $7000 and lost his licence for 11 months, with no conviction.
Magistrate Richard Wright said Robinson had "had a skinful" when he got into his car and drove home.
"In the past this was the standard way of operating by members of the Victorian Police Force. That culture has changed," Mr Wright said.
More than nine months after the crash Robinson resigned while force command was still considering whether to sack him.
The Office of Police Integrity and the Ethical Standards Department reviewed the crash investigation following concerns it had not been properly conducted.
Senior police refuse to comment on the matter despite the sackings and three other officers having already being placed on internal good behaviour bonds, other than to say that it involved "inappropriate emails, inappropriate use of police resources; poor leadership and judgment" in relation to an internal investigation.
"As this is an active investigation, no further comment can be made," police spokeswoman Lisa Beechey said.
A sergeant and the public servant have already been drummed out of the force while another sergeant and a senior constable have resigned.
Two Leading Sen-Constables have been given internal police good behaviour bonds and fined, with a Sen-Constable also placed on a good behaviour bond.
Other members are under investigation.
At least 30 police have been caught drink-driving in the past two years.
Source:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/victoria-police-rocked-by-alleged-crash-coverup/story-fni0fee2-1226816183098
