Chapter 14 argyle - State Law Publisher

FINAL REPORT
the allegedly false insurance claim and the disclosure of official secrets in relation to
documents allegedly given to Roddan.
Between April and September 1994, a preliminary hearing was held in the Perth
Magistrate’s Court in relation to each of the charges then pending against both Roddan and
Noye. In the course of those proceedings, Mrs Crimmins gave evidence of statements that
she alleged had been made in her presence by Roddan and Noye. In particular, she said
that Roddan had referred on numerous occasions to “Uncle Max and the boys” and to
others such as “Zed, Kim, Bernie, Barney and Barnsey”. It was her understanding that these
were references to police officers whom Roddan had called on for assistance.
As at June 1995, the allegations that senior officers had inappropriately stymied the earlier
investigations remained unaddressed. These allegations received an airing on the Four
Corners programme on ABC television on 1 May 1995 and, as a consequence, a Victorian
firm, Forensic Behavioural Investigative Services (“FBIS”), approached Argyle with a
proposal to conduct a review of the previous investigations. This offer was accepted and,
with the co-operation of Commissioner Falconer, FBIS was given access to the police files.
FBIS provided a report to Argyle on 31 August 1995, a copy of which was given to Falconer.
FBIS concluded that a number of matters had not been adequately investigated, and that
there had been a failure in respect of investigative practices and supervision. As a
consequence, Falconer approached the AFP and a joint task force was established by WAPS
and the AFP to investigate the matters that had been identified by FBIS.
The joint task force reported on 10 July 1996 (“the WAPOLINV Report”) and concluded, that
“[i]n each of the three investigations there is evidence of mismanagement and the inability
of some serving and former members of WAPOL to meet the responsibilities of their rank”.
The report did not specifically consider the allegations of corruption made against Noye, as
they were still pending before the courts at that stage. The report did, however,
recommend that a number of officers who had been involved with the various investigations
be subject to counselling in respect of identified failings. Almost without exception, the
officers concerned subsequently sought to dispute those findings and a number of formal
counsellings that were based upon the report have subsequently been set aside.
In May 1996, Roddan gave evidence at his trial on charges of conspiring to steal diamonds.
He denied having any corrupt associations with police officers or of having paid any money
to police officers.
On 8 October 1998, the charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice (and other
charges) against Noye and Roddan were discontinued. One of the factors referred to as
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