‘Deal’ wanted on Aust, ‘corruption’

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 4

‘Deal’ wanted on Aust, ‘corruption’

NZPA Lancaster The alleged “ace” of the Mr Asia drug ring, Alexander Sinclair, offered to tell police all about the syndicate’s involvement in Australian corruption, the Court [ heard yesterday. But the offer was said to be conditional on Sinclair’s escape to South America. Lancashire detectives turned it down, according to part of a record of interview read to the Court today by Sinclair’s counsel, Mr Robin Simpson, Q.C. The jury was not present. According to the record, Sinclair said that if he was taken back to Australia he would be shot in the back before he got off the airport tarmac. ! Asked by detectives to [speak; , about corruption . in ' Australia.' Sinclair replied: i“Man. you don’t know.” [ Detectives said during the [interview: “Do you want to ■ tell us the set-up?” ■ Sinclair allegedly replied: “I’ll give you the lot if I can ■ only get away to safety. ’ “The only way is to give !us three tickets to South [America — Karen (Soich), | Angie (his daughter) and me i— a fast car, and out.” ■ The detectives replied: i “That’s not on and you I know it.” ’ Mr Simpson read the I record to the Court as he 'argued against it being heard by the absent jury. He argued that the set-up could only refer to corruption in ■ Australia, and was not adimissible in this case. He then read a passage in .which Sinclair was asked !Whether he was involved in 'heroin dealing. “I tried to [avoid it if I could but occa[sionally I peddled it, but not I much.” the record of Sinclair's conversation said. Mr Simpson argued: “That is in no way an admission that he dealt' in millions of pounds worth of heroin alleged to have come from Thailand through Singapore to Australia.” Mrs Justice Heilbron said the “set-up” referred to by detectives could apply to a number of circumstances. She ruled the passage not admissible. •. Mr Simpson was opening ! the . twenty-third day of the : drugs conspiracy arid murder trial at Lancaster Castle. He said his arguments over the admissibility of evidence were likely to occupy most of the morning. “These were admissions of the gravest kind, of offences

committed in Australia which are of course non-jus-ticial here,” said Mr Simpson. “I submit that thqy should noit be included unless the Court is thoroughly satisfied that it is because of probity. “It would be virtually .impossible for Mr Sinclair to have any chance of a fair trial,” Mr Simpson said at a later stage. “The prejudicial effect would be likely to be enormous.” In reply the prosecution counsel, Mr Michael Maguire, said that they were admissions of involvement by a top man of the syndicate. “What we are concerned about is Sinclair’s knowledge of the operation of this syndicate in Australia. It is not a question of corruption, it is a question of conspiracy Her Honour considered the two submissions over the lunch break and returned to say that she found the evidence was of limited probative value. “But it is of such importance that I have seriously weighed them both in- the balance. It seems to me that it would be right to- admit the evidence and wrong to exclude it,” she said. Mr Simpson / continued with individual submissions over pieces of the interviews, which in more than a dozen cases were ruled out of the 70-page record. However, others were re- ■ tained. , One began with police saying to Sinclair: “Getting ’ back to the Australian angle, how well did you know Harry Lewis?” Lewis’s handless body was found in a shallow grave near Port Macquarie, New South Wales, in March, 1979. He had been shot 1

According to the record Sinclair replies.: “Well, he was in my syndicate. Martin (Johnstone) used him,'more than I did.” .> ... Mr - Maguire submitted th?t. the mere fact that he was-Harry Lewis was “of ho moment. His’ is ■ the . name that links Johnstone . and Sinclair in one syndicate.” Her Honour ruled this relevant and admissable. But she ruled against the inclusion of the name of a lawyer in Australia after Mr Maguire raised no objection to that part of a submission by Mr Simpson. Earlier today, the Court heard that Sinclair offered to tell police all about the syndicate’s involvement in Australian corruption if he, his girl-friend, Karen-Soich, and his daughter, Angie, could be given airline tickets to South’America. Lancashire detectives replied: “That’s not on and you know-it." _ Many of the other sections deleted in what' Mr Sampson called a "mammoth exercise” referred to Sinclair’s alleged activities in Britain. Near the day’s end, Mr Maguire said he would like to take the detective involved, Lancashire’s Sergeant Ernest Pemberton, through the notes to ensure he knew what had been removed. “I think that would be a very good idea,” Mr Simpson said, glancing at the empty jury box. - “If he makes a mistake there might Have to be a retrial.” "Don’t mention that word, Mr Simpson,” Mrs Justice Heilbron said.

Mr Pempterton’s evidence is to be called today.