Saturday, October 12, 2013
Rough justice for 'whistleblower' cop in Surfers Paradise police station bashing
A POLICE sergeant accused of leaking video footage of fellow officers bashing a prisoner has been charged with misconduct - while the alleged perpetrators are yet to face action 20 months on.
Chef Noa Begic was allegedly bashed by a group of officers in the basement of Surfers Paradise police station in January 2012.
Video footage obtained exclusively by The Courier-Mail captured the shocking attack in full, but while two officers have been stood down over the incident awaiting an internal affairs investigation, the alleged whistleblower has been charged with police misconduct and will face a disciplinary hearing headed by Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski.
After an investigation by ethical standards, police will allege Sergeant Rick Flori "inappropriately obtained" official and confidential surveillance footage from the CCTV room of the Surfers Paradise police station and supplied it to the newspaper.
Sgt Flori's house was raided by police a few weeks later and he was transferred from the Surfers Paradise station.
He has now been charged with improper conduct and will face a hearing at a date to be fixed when he could face action including demotion.
In stark contrast, the two officers stood down over their alleged involvement in the shocking attack are yet to face any serious disciplinary action.
They were pulled from the front line after the newspaper broke the story and stood down from duty several months later, but they have not been formally charged.
The Courier-Mail yesterday asked the office of Police Commissioner Ian Stewart for comment on why the investigation into their conduct had dragged on so long, but only received a brief statement in response.
The statement says disciplinary allegations were "being considered by the Deputy Commissioner".
Mr Begic was enjoying a few drinks after work when he was arrested by a group of officers in the heart of the Surfers Paradise nightclub strip in January 2012.
He was charged with public nuisance and obstructing police, but the charges were eventually dropped.
Mr Begic has now engaged lawyers and plans to sue the Queensland Police Service.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rough-justice-for-8216whistleblower8217-cop-in-surfers-paradise-police-station-bashing/story-fnihsrf2-1226738660065
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10 comments:
The officer who released the video was charged with 'improper conduct', which must mean the action by the officers who are shown on the CCTV must not be considered to be improper conduct. The new Commissioner must also consider it acceptable to use excessive force on a member of the public. The past Commissioner Atkinson made the statement that it was ok to punch someone in the head? Double standards, QPS.
Sgt Flori, the officer who released the CCTV video to the public, will face the Deputy charged with Misconduct while the other 2 thugs, serving police officers, will probably escape any punishment. Until the video was released the QPS were intent on riding the incident out and pretending the chef had imagined the whole incident. Fortunately an occasional policeman must think the public does not deserve to be punched in the bowels of the Southport police station and the blood washed off the cement by a policeman one of three or four. There must be some flawed thinking in QPS commissioned officers, supported by the government, when this thuggery of the public is hidden and denied by all. Again we saw Ian Leavers supporting the officers.
Jan 2012 this happened and we have still heard nothing of the thug officers facing any disciplinary action. Now March 2014. The QPS disciplinary process grinds on when it suits them. Whereas the officer who released the video faced disciplinary action very quickly. One way or the other all police officers are given the message that regardless of what QPS does, they have to look the other way, or kiss their career goodbye. Does this sound what we all expect of the police service?
Did the same happen with the Morcombe case? Past Det Kenneth King spoke out about his thoughts on Cowan not being investigated? QPS has no standards in the internal investigative process, where an officer can make his undocumented comments used later by a QCAT member. But, an investigation tip toes around the murder investigation? The usual QPS spin from Stewart should not be accepted by all. The cost to the tax payer has to be a concern. But the police state will protect the QPS and continue to repeat the lies.
Had QPS investigated thoroughly Cowan could have been charged within the first 6 months, instead of that, the systemic failures in QPS caused it to drag on for another decade. Not to mention another child predator was at large in the community. QPS survives protected by the government of the day and their internal bully boy club denies the public accountable policing. The Attorney General should be more concerned about this, than the length of time Cowan will be locked up for. Surely when Cowan is due for release, the Hetty Johnson's of the world will campaign. Meanwhile the flawed system within QPS will allow another paedophile to remain in society for another decade, putting our children and grandchildren at risk. Surely Hetty Johnson should be concerned about this?
Will Hetty Johnson use her Queenslander of the Year award to ensure Queenslanders have an honest and accountable police service? While the government and police protect each other there is no guarantee that the QPS is not intent on internal pay back rather than all working for the good of the public. While police officers who have lied to have an officer transferred remain in the system, and the system is prepared to hide these people, Queenslanders will never have a police service that can not be corrupted.
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The officer who released the video was charged with 'improper conduct', which must mean the action by the officers who are shown on the CCTV must not be considered to be improper conduct. The new Commissioner must also consider it acceptable to use excessive force on a member of the public. The past Commissioner Atkinson made the statement that it was ok to punch someone in the head? Double standards, QPS.
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We need another royal commission to remove these thugs and cretins from the police force before the public lose all credibility in our democratic system. It's coming, soon all the rats will running to there rat holes, bring it on!
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