‘Mr Asia’s’ kin fears killers

Press, 29 May 1982, Page 12

‘Mr Asia’s’ kin fears killers

NZPA Sydney The brother of Christopher Martin Johnstone said yesterday that he feared what the killers of his brother would do if they found out how he had been giving evidence to the Australian Federal Royal Commission investigating drug trafficking by the "Mr Asia" sydnicate. Brian Stephen Johnstone, aged 29, a Sydney importer, told the Royal Commission that when he was interviewed by Lancashire detectives in Singapore in November, 1979, he had not told them all he knew of the relationship between Terry Clark (Alexander Sinclair) and his brother, Martin. If he had told all he knew about money transfers that had taken place in his Sydney warehouse,' he and his family's lives might have been endangered because the police were not sure then that they had the evidence to convict Clark. Mr Johnstone said.

Mr Justice Stewart, the Royal Commissioner investigating the activities of Clark and his associates in the “Mr Asia" syndicate, then asked how he felt about it now. “I feel now that if. from what I've seen and read of Clark and his history and the way he murdered my brother, that if he knew I gave evidence here that the man would want to get some sort of revenge for my talking about it," Mr Johnstone said.

Earlier,. Mr Johnstone had admitted to the commission that acting on a request from his brother, who was then in

'Singapore, he had looked after some money for Clark.

Under questioning by counsel assisting the.comnfission, Mr Johnstone admitted that at least three times in May, 1978, Clark had gone to the Brqokvale warehouse of his importing company. Cross and Mercer (Australia), to pick up money. The commission heard how the now-dead drug courier, Douglas Wilson, in evidence gained from the “Wilson tapes" (recordings of a confession made to the Brisbane police and the leaking of which were to lead to his and Isobel Wilson’s , deaths) had alleged that the amount was $142,000.

Wilson had alleged there

were five drop-offs to Mr Johnstone’s warehouse in May, 1978. of cash belonging to Clark which had come from another of Clark’s associates,. Jimmy Shepherd.

"I have never heard of Shepherd — I have never seen him.” said Mr Johnstone.

He agreed that he had given the money to Clark. It was suggested to him that he was perfectly aware at the time that it was coming from an illegal source.

He said he had asked his brother about, the money, "but Martin said not to worry about it. it was Clark's, money.

“It was probably the most stupid thing I have ever done in mv life.

“I had not tried to get involved in anything, but here I was being used, and allowing my business to be used, as a drop-off point," Mr Johnstone said.

Mr Justice Stewart described him as a go-between.

“That’s the way I was being set up." Mr Johnstone agreed.

“Several times" he had wondered what sort of illegal activity might be involved but he had no proof that it was drugs.

Mr Johnstone had told the Commission earlier that he first met Clark, whom he

then knew as Phil Scott, in October, 1977, when Clark had paid $lO,OOO in cash, brought in a brown paper bag, for a seven-piece wood lounge setting which Martin Johnstone had sent down to Sydney from Singapore for Clark.

He said he thought the $lO,OOO would have gone on to the "contra account" of Cross and Mercer in Singapore and there used as credit for buying Asian earthenw’are for export to Australia.

But documents before the commission showed no trace of the $lO,OOO in the Cross and Mercer (Singapore) accounts.