CHARGES AGAINST POLICE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21746, 31 March 1936, Page 11

CHARGES AGAINST POLICE

— NO WITHDRAWAL BV ORIGINATOR EVIDENCE BEFORE SYDNEY COMMISSION

vCxttko rxsss ASsaciAtics— ccFTßCfcax.j * (Received March SO, 9.21 pan.) SYDNEY, March SO. The Labour politician. Mr C. C. Lazrarini. who made charges in Parliament against police methods in betting raids. and prosecutions, attended the sitting to-day of the ' Royal Commission and expressed I willingness to give evidence about ' j the number of cases in which the ; police and their agents were aij leged to be involved. He stated that while he favoured a select committee of investigation, rather than a Royal Commission, he was now anxious to combat rumours that he was running away from the charges i he had made in Parliament—also a rumour that he had received a bribe to remain away from the commission. The commissioner (Judge Markeli) said that he would be glad to deal with these cases after Easter. | The Commissioner of Police gave ! further evidence that when lie took 1 over the ccmmlssionership he had j resolved to eliminate as far as posI sible the use of agents, and in a i series of addresses to the police j'betting squad" he had emphasised | that, “If you cannot get cases clean I do not get them at alh” 1 It had since been a rule of the j Police Department that two policei men should corroborate the evidence | of a police agent, t He added: “Betting in this country i is supposed to be a religion, and the | inclination of 75 per cent, of the people is that the betting laws are harsh. For that reason the police must be doubly careful.” I Mr E. L. Sanders, a Government ■ member of the Legislative Assembly. | said that a number of his clients | had sought his assistance in getting ! remission of betting fines, and others had complained of police actions. Mr Sanders produced a statement from Alfred Ingram, who declared that he had paid Sergeant Jennings, of North Sydney. £2O a month for nearly a year to enjoy immunity from prosecution for illegal beti ting. > Mr Sanders added that he was j reliably informed that the police | were constantly raiding one hotel lin North Sydney, while another j close by escaped. i The commission adjourned till I April 15.