Qld cop to face trial over tip-off claim
Cheryl Goodenough |
A Queensland detective accused of passing on information about a suspect in parallel homicide and counter-terrorism investigations has been committed to stand trial.
Detective Bryan Anthony Swift is accused of providing the name and address of the suspect to the media, as well as information about a forthcoming counter-terrorism raid.
The 52-year-old is charged with two counts of misconduct in public office and one of communicating or publishing protected information.
Brisbane magistrate Michael Quinn on Friday committed Swift to stand trial in the district court on a date still to be set.
During a committal hearing last year witnesses were questioned about an apparent plan to use the media in an attempt to gather intelligence in 2018.
The strategy involved distributing CCTV footage via a media release, partly in the hope of prompting discussion by the person of interest that might get picked up by surveillance equipment, the court was told.
It also allegedly included sending a reporter to the man’s home south of Brisbane after the CCTV vision had been released.
Detective Sergeant Michael Cameron told the hearing Swift floated the possibility of media attending the man’s address in an attempt to “generate conversation” in June 2018.
“It was a proposal, there was no detail about it … I didn’t put too much weight on it,” he said.
Text messages between two officers involved with the homicide investigation, exchanged prior to the reporter’s visit, were also read before the court during the hearing.
They allegedly include discussions about media attending the house, and each party agreeing they were OK with it.
Allegations of media leaks were levelled at Swift following a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation.
AAP
