.. .. . . .mwmc.mm. rsl': .. -. .. .. 7 Canberra AUSTRALIA ?Of course those Four Corners lefties deliberately ignored thefact that there are no poker machines in the brothels. QUEENSLAND Police inquiry turns blowtorch back on accusers By PAUL BONGIORNO PREMIER Sir .loh Bjelke-Petersen?s ambitions have already achieved a remarkable result: the set- ting up of an open, judicial, commis- sion of inquiry into allegations of high level corruption in the Queensland Po- lice Force. While Deputy Premier Bill Gunn has received all of the kudos so ?far, the Premier?s advisers debunk sug- gestions that the decision was without reference to the boss. The same advisers say the inquiry will show the nation that his credentials on ?ghting crime and corruption are immaculate. The allegations have been persistent and they began gaining currency within months of the appointment of Terrence Murray Lewis as Commissioner of P0- lice 10 years ago. Bjelke-Petersen has always been convinced that they are politically motivated; The most trenchant accuser was La- bor?s notorious bucket-ripper the late Kev Heeper. Hooper asked state parliament in a 30 rhetorical flourish in April 1982 who were the criminals in the police force who were being protected? He went on: ?They include none others than the Commissioner himself, Mr Terrence Murray Lewis and his Assistant Com- missioner Tony Murphy. Both o?icers have had meteoric rises. As boys, they were banished to the bush by a former honest police commissioner for their conduct but.have risen to Stardom un- der the National Party-controlled gov- .ernment.? The government easily dismissed Hooper?s attacks under privilege as nothing more than hyperbole. It also bought time in the debate by setting up the Police Complaints Tribunal. The tribunal?s record has failed to inspire con?dence. It has dealt with 600 complaints against police and dis- missed 94 percent of them. Among them was the complaint of a teenager, Barry John Mannix. Mannix con- fessed, after a long interrogation in a room at the Broadbeach police station, to cutting his father?s throat. Mannix spent four months in jail awaiting trial and then four other men were charged with the crime. The tribunal could not explain the Mannix confession satis- factorily although he alleged that police had coerced it. The recent Four Corners program on ABC television broke little new ground. But it did dramatically draw together the issues that have led the Opposition, civil liberties groups,_the Director of Prosecutions and others over recent years to demand action with increasing frustration. Police Minister Gunn rang Ian Cal? linan, QC, for Advice after seeing the show. Callinan, one ofAustralia?s more prominent advocates, agreed to discuss it further next morning. Gunn also rang BjelkeuPetersen and said he thought an inquiry was needed. The Premier agreed but left the details to Gunn who told a news conference that day: haven't been convinced and I?m not convinced at the present time but there?s one-way of clearing it up once and for all, as there has been a series of Police ministers that have had this hanging over their heads and it?s not going to hang over my head." The inquiry will be the ?rst of its kind in Queensland for 10 years. Great attention was paid to formulation of the terms of reference. ,gGunn and intend to put the three men who made the most damning allegations on the show under immense pressure. They are two former police- men and a brothel operator. The inquiry will not be able to devel- op a long life of its own, similar to the Costigan royal commission. A time limit will ensure that soon as possible. Reporter Chris Masters will be subpoenaed also. Lewis has told the Sunday Mail newspaper that he would be prepared to give evidence. The Premier has said he has complete faith in the commis- sioner. Bjelke-Petersen?s of?ce says a lot of people?s reputations are on the line in this inquiry. They leave no doubt as "to why the veteran politician is agreeing to this rare inquiry. ?The Premier has nothing to hide,? I was told. He clearly doesn?t want a cloud hanging over his Canberra campaign. The risks are great. Inquiries do tend to stray into areas their instigating gov- ernments hadn?t dreamed of. The Labor Opposition and the Lib- eral Party in Queensland are already laying the groundwork to put the in- quiry itself under scrutiny. Labor?s Jus- tice spokesman, Wayne Goss, says that the commission having to use Queens- land policemen as its investigators is unacceptable. He says they will be in the invidious position of investigating their own bosses. But Gunn is adamant: neither the National Crimes Authority nor interstate police will be used. But the proceedings will attract national media attention. And, for the ?rst time in 19 years as Premier, Bjelke- Petersen will actually worry about what people are thinking and saying south of the border. E1 THE BULLETIN, MAY 26, 1987