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Tony Fitzgerald hands down review into Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission

Alan Wilson, Shannon Fentiman, Tony Fitzgerald and Annastacia Palaszczuk with report into Crime and Corruption Commission

Queensland’s corruption watchdog needs to consult with the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before laying charges to avoid “unwarranted impact” of its investigations and rebuild public confidence, a new report has recommended.

It is one of a string of recommendations from a Commission of Inquiry relating to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).

The inquiry’s report, handed to the Queensland government today, also recommends the CCC reduce its reliance on police officers as staff.

It identifies “two key risks” associated with the employment of seconded police in the CCC.

The inquiry was co-chaired by retired Supreme Court justice Alan Wilson QC and Tony Fitzgerald, who is best known for heading the Fitzgerald Inquiry, which uncovered systemic corruption in Queensland 35 years ago.

It was announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in January.

The inquiry was commissioned as a result of a recommendation from a Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee report into the CCC’s investigation and decision to charge eight Logan City councilors with fraud in 2019.

The charges were dropped in court due to a lack of evidence and today’s report found those events adversely affected Queenslanders’ perceptions of the CCC.

Headshot of smiling Tony Fitzgerald
Mr Fitzgerald’s extensive and distinguished legal career dates back to the 1970s.

The original Fitzgerald Inquiry’s recommendations led to the creation of the Criminal Justice Commission, the precursor of the CCC.

The new inquiry made 32 recommendations about the CCC’s structure and operation “that must be implemented collectively” to bolster public confidence.

Upon receiving the report, Ms Palaszczuk said the recommendations were “very sensitive”.

“On the face of them, there is nothing here that I cannot see our government implementing,” she said.

What has been recommended?

The inquiry heard 87 submissions from stakeholders and members of the public including from the former chair of the CCC Alan MacSporran.

Its recommendations focus on refining the CCC’s process of laying charges and reducing its reliance on police staff.

They highlight risks of “institutional capture” by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) – in which the interests of the QPS are prioritized over the interests of the public – and a risk that corruption investigations might place an “undue emphasis on law enforcement”.

The report makes clear the use of seconded police officers by the CCC is appropriate and should continue, but recommends the watchdog predominantly employs people outside of the police and armed services.

It also recommends creating a Corruption Strategy and Prevention Unit within the CCC, as well as a dedicated training and development officer.

Queensland Police Service officer in South Bank
The inquiry urges the CCC to employ more investigators from outside the police service.(ABC News: Patrick Williams)

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman has focused on another recommendation — amending the Crime and Corruption Act to make the CCC consult with the DPP before laying charges to ensure the charges can be properly brought to court.

“I think that is a really key recommendation, particularly as this commission of inquiry arose from the PCCC’s inquiry into what happened in Logan City Council,” Ms Fentiman said.

She said the specialist team would be created within the DPP.

“That will review all of the evidence collated by the CCC and make a recommendation to the CCC.

“It then goes back to the CCC once the matter then comes to be prosecuted a different team of prosecutors will looks at it.

“We’ll take advice from the DPP about the kind of resources they need in order to do this work.”

Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman speaks at a press conference
Shannon Fentiman says DPP consultation is a key recommendation of the report. (AAP: Jono Searle)

What about the Logan councillors?

The inquiry’s report said it would not revisit or re-litigate the investigation of the Logan council.

Ms Palaszczuk did not comment on whether Logan City Council would be issued an apology.

“No-one would like to see what happened to those particular councilors happen again,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“That report is very clear about a path forward … so we would probably not see the likes of that happening again – that would be my expectation.”

The report also raises additional issues outside its scope, including the potential of delaying the suspension or sacking of councilors until they have pleaded guilty or are committed to trial.

Ms Fentiman said the government would also consider those issues.

The report will be considered by cabinet on Monday.

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Manly NRL player’s sling a ‘unique feature’ of church car park stabbing, jury told

Manly NRL player's sling a 'unique feature' of church car park stabbing, jury told

She argued the jury should accept witness Tony Quach, a housemate of Levi’s, as an honest, “unfailing and candid” witness who gave persuasive evidence in painstaking detail.

Quach said he saw the accused holding a steak knife with a clenched fist and his right arm bent at a 90-degree angle. He said Fainu’s left arm of him was in a sling, he “looked angry” and had stabbed Levi in ​​the back of him, causing his friend to scream in pain.

Witness Tony Quach leaves court after giving evidence at Manase Fainu's trial.

Witness Tony Quach leaves court after giving evidence at Manase Fainu’s trial.Credit:AAP

Quach said he “recognized Manase” by features including his “obvious” sling. Under cross-examination, Quach said he had recognized Fainu “after the incident”.

“Mr Quach saw it all clearly because the lights were on, and therefore he wasn’t mistaken about who had the knife,” Curran said. “He had a clear, unobstructed view of a person he had previously known.”

Curran said another witness, Levi’s friend Kupi Toilalo, was “adamant the person with the knife was the person with the sling”, and was heard yelling a warning to others about the weapon.

An Instagram screenshot of Manase Fainu in hospital after shoulder surgery in September 2019, tendered as evidence at his trial.

An Instagram screenshot of Manase Fainu in hospital after shoulder surgery in September 2019, tendered as evidence at his trial.Credit:NSW District Court

It is an agreed fact that Fainu had an operation on his left shoulder in September 2019 and was wearing a sling on the night of the stabbing.

Fainu testified that he had driven his friends to the church as one of them, Uona “Big Buck” Faingaa, wanted to collect money for a concreting job from a man inside. Fainu said, after Faingaa and another friend were kicked out via the front gate, he had gone over the fence expecting to collect the money himself.

“I just saw something, like a brawl going on, when I was on my way to the chapel,” Fainu said.

The prosecutor submitted that Fainu was an unimpressive witness and the jury should reject his evidence that he was at least 10 meters away from the brawl.

“On occasion, his answers were simply fanciful,” Curran said.

In her closing address, defense barrister Margaret Cunneen, SC, said Fainu had been with four other men, and one of them must be the person responsible who had “planned badness.”

“We will never work out in this trial which one it was, but it was not Mr Fainu,” she said.

The group “was the threat”, she said, and Fainu’s sling “drew the eye”.

“The distinguishing feature of the group of five men was the sling,” Cunneen said.

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She said there was no one else’s DNA on Fainu’s sling and nothing to suggest a knife had been kept inside.

“The man with the sling gets the blame for the stab wound,” Cunneen said. “Mr Fainu has really suffered from his position as a football player. It was easy to blame it on him because some people knew him and the sling stood out.”

Cunneen argued her client was truthful and disciplined. “We can infer that from what we know of his short and now distant rugby league career,” she said, noting Fainu testified that NRL players were trained to walk away from fights and not get involved.

“It’s constantly on their mind, they’re representing other people. It defies credulity that he would carry a knife, let alone use it in circumstances where he’s got no fight with anyone.”

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Parliamentary flood report finds SES and Resilience NSW failed Lismore, northern NSW communities

People in a boat rescue another man in the water

A parliamentary inquiry has found the government agencies in charge of preparing for and responding to major flooding in New South Wales this year failed affected communities.

Seven people died and thousands of people were displaced or cut off when floodwaters devastated the Northern Rivers region twice since late February.

Despite calls from authorities to stand down, residents took to boats and jet skis to rescue each other from rooftops, and took with them axes and other equipment to cut open roof cavities in which people were stuck.

Led by Labor’s Walt Secord, the parliamentary committee took evidence at a series of hearings across the state’s north as well as Western Sydney, where floods also became deadly.

“The committee found that the [State Emergency Service and Resilience NSW] failed to provide leadership and effective coordination in the community’s greatest time of need,” Mr Secord told parliament as he tabled the report.

A man with an "I Survived Lismore 2022" shirt at a flood meeting inquiry.
The NSW Parliamentary Flood Inquiry held hearings on the north coast in May.(ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)

The report found that information from the State Emergency Service (SES) and Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) was “incorrect and out of date”, leaving the community with “no other option but to ignore government advice and save lives”.

It made 37 recommendations, including that the SES, the state’s lead agency in a flood event, undergo a restructure to harness local knowledge and employ more salaried staff.

It urged the weather bureau to review its rain data infrastructure and flood modeling tools.

The report found the state agencies and BOM were “not prepared for, nor did they comprehend the scale” of the floods and that “some agencies were criticized for treating it as a nine to five business operation”.

Lismore resident Billy Curry was one of many in the “tinny army” who took it upon themselves to rescue people the day his home town went under.

He agreed there did not seem to be enough resources to assess and respond to the situation, and that without the impromptu volunteers “the community would have been in a lot of trouble”.

“There were scenes there where you were ducking under power lines and street lights in a boat,” he said.

“We lifted 64 older people from an elderly aged care place into a boat, so that’s something you don’t forget.”

Man in gray t-shirt, curly blond hair, unsmiling
Billy Curry wants a database created to better manage willing and able volunteers.(ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)

Mr Curry said he wanted the State Emergency Service to adopt a database of volunteers who had lifesaving skills and equipment such as jet skis, who could be quickly briefed via SMS in an emergency.

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$70m that renters unknowingly owed to NT government is ‘quietly’ waived

$70m that renters unknowingly owed to NT government is 'quietly' waived

Legal advocates say the Northern Territory government has “quietly” wiped $70 million worth of rental debt allegedly owed by remote residents who didn’t know the debt existed.

The existence of the alleged debt came to light when the Santa Teresa community sued the NT Department of Housing for providing uninhabitable housing stock.

In 2016 the government announced it would countersue the residents taking legal action against them, claiming individual households owed up to $21,000 to the department in unpaid rent.

Australian Lawyers for Remote Aboriginal Rights solicitor Dan Kelly represents the Santa Teresa community and said this alleged debt came “out of nowhere” for residents.

“It was obviously very worrying and distressing,” he said.

“They were under the impression they had been paying their rent as instructed through direct debits.”

Freedom-of-information requests revealed the Territory government alleged the community owed a total of $2 million in unpaid rent but had never pursued the debts.

An Indigenous woman stands in front of a basic dwelling.
Annie Young has been part of the years-long legal fight with NT Housing seeking compensation over unsafe housing.(ABC News: Isabella Higgins)

Debt waiver not publicized

Mr Kelly said the wiping of the alleged debt only came to light because a similar countersuit taken out by the government against residents for Laramba was suddenly dropped early this month at the NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT).

Since 2018, Laramba’s residents have been engaged in legal action against the Department of Housing, arguing they have a right to safe drinking water following revelations theirs contains three times the recommended levels of uranium.

“They announced to the court that the Treasurer has made a determination under the Financial Management Act waiving or writing off any alleged debts,” Mr Kelly said.

“That’s essentially all we know.”

NTCAT heard the decision to wipe the alleged debt was made at the end of June.

In a statement, the government said renters were visited by tenancy officers to advise them historical rental debt up to December 11, 2021 would not be pursued.

The decision to wipe $70 million worth of debt has not been otherwise publicized by the government.

A man wearing a blue shirt with a smiling baby looks at the camera.
The debt waiver came to light when a countersuit against Laramba residents was dropped.(ABC News: Isaac Nowroozi)

‘Failure system’

Mr Kelly said the government’s countersuit against Santa Teresa residents was eventually unsuccessful because “records were unable to support the fact that the amount was in fact owing”.

Wiping these debts means the government can no longer countersue residents who take them to court in this same way, but Mr Kelly said based on the outcome of the Santa Teresa countersuit, it was “questionable” if any debts would have been probable.

“Their records, I think, have been proven to be unreliable.”

In a statement, the government said the rental system was “antiquated” and “ineffective, confusing for tenants and challenging to administer”.

Mr Kelly said the saga surrounding the unpursued and unproven debts was indicative that remote housing policy was “failing” in the NT.

“It’s a policy that failed because Aboriginal-controlled organizations were not part of the conversation and Aboriginal voices weren’t involved in the policy.

“This was money that should have been fixing up houses and making sure they were at a reasonable and comfortable standard.”

Debt forgiven as rent is raised

The decision to waive the alleged debt comes as the government plans to increase rents for many residents in remote communities and town camps as part of the new remote rent framework.

Rent to be raised
The way the NT calculates rent for public housing is changing on September 5.(Supplied)

On September 5 the government will abolish income-based rent setting for these properties and introduce pricing schemes that researchers from the Australian National University found would in turn increase rent for 68 per cent of tenants.

The researchers found rent would increase for 80 per cent of renters in Central Australia and 81 per cent of residents in the Barkly.

“Our view on the new rent system is that it’s not going to work again — it’s been designed without the adequate input of Aboriginal organisations,” Mr Kelly said.

In a statement, the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities said the new framework was “simple” and “has built-in safeguards to protect people from rental stress should the rent tenants pay exceed 25 per cent of household income”.

“Consultation on the Remote Rent Framework began in 2018 with key stakeholders including a working group with leaders from the housing sector,” it said.

“Tenancy officers have gone door to door across more than 80 communities to provide information to tenants about the new framework.”

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Peter Dutton urges the Albanese Government to acquire military ‘deterrent’ as he warns of conflict amid China-Taiwan tensions

Peter Dutton urges the Albanese Government to acquire military 'deterrent' as he warns of conflict amid China-Taiwan tensions

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has lashed China for its “completely over the top” reaction to Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan trip and has urged the Australian government to “provide a deterrent” for potential regional conflict.

China has ramped up military exercises in the Taiwan Strait and East China Sea following the US Speaker of the House’s visit to Taipei.

The People’s Liberation Army launched five high-powered missiles across the strait with one entering Japan’s exclusive economic zone over the weekend.

Mr Dutton said China’s recent ratcheting up of aggression could result in “conflict or war” and labeled Beijing’s actions as “quite phenomenal”.

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In the wake of the military build-up, Mr Dutton also welcomed the Albanese Government’s openness to purchasing nuclear-powered submarines to fill a potentially decades long capability gap.

“It’s absolutely essential that we acquire the capability to provide a deterrent,” Mr Dutton said.

“We’re an island nation in the middle of the pacific and we have a particular responsibility not just to our own country but to keep peace within our region as well.”

Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the government would prioritize “strategic need” over local manufacturing after Labor launched a major defense capability review last week.

Mr Marles told the Nine newspapers that acquiring the nuclear submarines early was an option, but the extent of the capability gap needed to be determined first.

“To the extent a capability gap exists when we determine how quickly we can get the nuclear-powered submarines, we need to be looking at every option about how we plug that gap,” he said.

“The point is that we must have an evolving and improving submarine capability in this country from this day forth. And that necessitates plugging the gap. And there are lots of ways one can do that.”

China launched its military drills on Thursday following Ms Pelosi’s visit to Taipei earlier in the week.

Beijing also sanctioned the US Speaker in response to what the government described as a “egregious provocation”.

Mr Dutton praised Ms Pelosi’s visit and said it exposed China’s “disproportionate” reaction.

“Yes, she should have (gone) and I’m pleased that she did because the reaction from China is completely over the top,” Mr Dutton said at a press conference in Brisbane on Monday.

“And it’s disproportionate to the visit by a Speaker of the House of Representatives in the world’s biggest democracy to visit an independent country.”

While supporting the speaker’s decision, Mr Dutton said he would not partake in a similar “political stunt” but warned that China’s military build-up was reminiscent of 1930s Europe.

“Nobody’s arguing for there to be a breaking of the current arrangement, but at the same time the Chinese government’s reaction under President Xi has been wildly disproportionate,” he said.

“This has been entirely predictable, China is amassing nuclear weapons and when we say that we’re in a period similar to the 1930s that is not made up, it’s not exaggerated.”

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Carnarvon Shire Council president says parts of town look like a ‘war zone’, as he begs WA Premier for help

Carnarvon Shire Council president says parts of town look like a 'war zone', as he begs WA Premier for help

Screams of frustration are heard along the streets of Brockman in Carnarvon, as residents return home to discover they’ve been broken into yet again.

Twenty-two-year-old mother-of-one Teresa Peck said the front gate of the house has been sitting in tatters for three months after a stolen car crashed through it.

“This isn’t safe. This isn’t safe for anybody,” Ms Peck said.

“Especially for us mob. Basically people are just walking over us.”

Next door are two state government owned houses that were set to become homes after being renovated.

Ms Peck said they had been vandalized four times in the past week and were now uninhabitable.

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Carnarvon crime wave.(Kate Ferguson)

Next-door neighbor Doneka Oxenham said it was the same kids causing the same issues and they have had enough.

“I get on the phone to the police; [I] ring them up and they don’t come until the next day. What if they burnt themselves in that house? Even though it’s empty there’s still live wires in there,” she said.

Carnarvon Shire Council president Eddie Smith is pleading for more government support to manage escalating anti-social behavior that he said has left residents “absolutely broken” and rendered parts of the town a “war zone”.

A woman is looking at the camera, a red wall behind her
Doneka Oxenham says she would like the Premier to visit the suburb of Brockman to see the damage first-hand.(ABC News: Kate Ferguson)

In a letter addressed to West Australian Premier Mark McGowan and several cabinet ministers, Mr Smith said change was needed in how the government approached problems in the town.

“What has been done in the past is not working and what is being done now has not changed,” Mr Smith said.

“What is changing is the increase in community members that are absolutely broken from the ongoing impact of the actions of those in our community that are not being held accountable for their actions, and then coming to me and begging for something to be done.”

An older man with a stern look on his face, wearing a green short and a cap
Carnarvon Shire president Eddie Smith has described the vandalism as appalling.(ABC News: Kate Ferguson)

Mr Smith said some parts of town looked “like a war zone and at times [were] exactly that”, with ongoing domestic violence, child abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, and property damage.

“Businesses have been broken into multiple times — in fact, I don’t know anyone in our town who has not been impacted in some way, be it abuse, theft or damage to personal property,” he said.

Community leaders say too many state government services, like counseling for at risk children, are being managed from Geraldton which is about 500 kilometers away.

“There is no accountability. There is no oversight role. The management of most of these organizations is not in Carnarvon. It’s in Geraldton or in Perth,” Mr Smith said.

A damaged wall out the front of a property
Knocked-over walls and damaged fences are common along this street according to its residents.(ABC News: Kate Ferguson)

‘The money has been allocated

Alannah MacTiernan, whose portfolios include regional development and food and agriculture, was one of the ministers who received Mr Smith’s letter.

Ms MacTiernan said funding for social initiatives in Carnarvon and the Gascoyne had been allocated, and she was confident programs being rolled out would address Mr Smith’s concerns.

“In the last budget [we made] an announcement that we were setting up a Target 120 project right here in Carnarvon so we’ll be putting together a program here which will focus on those most-at-risk families and working very intensively with them,” she said.

“The fact that Carnarvon has been included in that $11 million bucket of funding is very much testament to the work that the shire and Eddie have been doing, because they have highlighted the problems that are here in Carnarvon and across the north.”

Ms MacTiernan believed programs such as the Target 120 project were already a success in other regions and would make a difference to the town when implemented.

A wall is smashed with holes in the plaster
State housing is now uninhabitable following the most recent spate of vandalism.(ABC NewsKate Ferguson )

Mr Smith said the local council initiated programs that were making a small change but without the state government’s support, it would not achieve what was required.

“I implore you and the ministers to visit Carnarvon to witness first-hand what is happening and hopefully gain an insight into how, with collaboration, we may make the changes our community desperately needs,” he said.

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Tunnel plan for Brisbane’s northside as congestion, development bites

Tunnel plan for Brisbane's northside as congestion, development bites

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner will release further details on Tuesday but the research and proposals have already been discussed by civic cabinet and development along the corridor has been ruled out.

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The extensive documentation, including a business case, has also been provided to Infrastructure Australia and the Queensland government.

While Schrinner has yet to comment on the research, or proposals, he announced more Brisbane Metro vehicles on Monday and said: “I am now more confident than ever that we can look towards expanding the Metro network to other areas of our city.”

Former Labor state governments had planned extra bus lanes for the corridor and possible western bypass tunnels under the original Western Brisbane Transport Network strategy in 2009.

The latest research also flagged another possible tunnel south from Everton Park to Toowong, similar to one examined by a former Labor state government. It would link up with the Western Freeway and Legacy Way.

Brisbane's CBD from the lookout on top of the Chermside Hill Reserve.

Brisbane’s CBD from the lookout on top of the Chermside Hill Reserve.Credit:Tony Moore

Brisbane City Council infrastructure committee chair Andrew Wines said escalating congestion costs and environmental issues meant there was no option but to go underground.

“This study shows the economic cost of north Brisbane’s congestion will be a staggering $1.5 million a day within a decade, which is totally unacceptable,” Wines told BrisbaneTimes.

“Brisbane is the fastest-growing capital city in the country and our northern neighbors in Moreton Bay – who are investigating options for alternatives to the Bruce Highway – are also growing quickly.

“This study must start a conversation between all levels of government – and the private sector – about options to ensure northside commuters get home sooner and safer.”

The preserved corridor between Gympie Road at Carseldine and Shand Street at Alderley was identified in the 1980s and has remained largely free of houses since then.

However, the research found many threatened and endangered species in parks along the original Trouts Road route from Stafford to Carseldine: the large Chermside Hills Reserve, the Downfall Creek Bush Reserve, Mine Hill Reserve and Sparkes Hill Reserve at Alderley.

Environmental issues identified in Chermside Hills Reserves and linked parks

Flora

  • Chermside Hills Reserve is considered a high-risk trigger area.
  • There are approximately 21 threatened plant species recorded within the vicinity of the corridor.
  • This includes endangered eucalypt woodland and open forest community
  • It is significant conservation value, only found in the Chermside Hills Reserve area. The ecosystem cannot be offset in another location.

Fauna

  • The identified threatened and vulnerable species are powerful owls, gray headed flying foxes and tusked frogs, in addition to sugar and squirrel gliders.
  • Koalas are regularly spotted in the Chermside Hills Reserve. Evidence of their presence was detected during environmental investigations undertaken as part of the development of the business case.

cultural heritage

  • The study found it has a “rich Aboriginal peoples’ history”.
  • Examples include artefact scatters, marked trees, earthen features, pathways, stone arrangements, story places and campsites.
  • “A future detailed business case will be important to confirm the presence of Aboriginal cultural heritage values ​​in the study area and strategies to manage potential impacts.”

Those environmental concerns rule out the original plan – first considered in the 1960s – to transform Trouts Road into a four-lane highway between Alderley and Carseldine.

Community concern over the prospect of a highway running between bushland and housing estates, and altering local traffic flows, had seen the future of the corridor debated in recent federal, state and council election campaigns.

Looking towards Brisbane CBD down Old Northern Road from Everton Hills.

Looking towards Brisbane CBD down Old Northern Road from Everton Hills.Credit:Tony Moore

The research shows the proposed underground motorway would reduce traffic on Transurban’s existing Airport Link and Legacy Way toll tunnels by between 11 and 31 per cent by 2041.

However, it reduces traffic on major northside arterial roads; including Gympie Road (35 per cent less traffic by 2041) and Wardell Street (down 23 per cent by 2041).

The long-term plan is to increase bus lanes on those arterial roads.

The RACQ’s 2021 congestion report released in February 2022 shows Stafford, Old Northern, South Pine, Rode and Hamilton roads slowing to mid 30km/h during peak periods, adding minutes to trips.

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Broome court hears details of burglary on pearl farm owned by Fremantle Docker’s family

Broome court hears details of burglary on pearl farm owned by Fremantle Docker's family

A Broome court has heard details behind a brazen burglary by a group of children on an iconic pearl farm that ended in the theft of more than $70,000 worth of jewelery.

An 18-year-old man appeared before the Broome Magistrates Court on Monday, charged over the burglary on Willie Creek Pearl Farm with four other juvenile co-accused in June.

The farm, owned by the family of Fremantle Dockers midfielder Bailey Banfield, is located at the end of an unsealed road around 40 kilometers out of the Broome town centre.

The court heard the man, who cannot be named to protect the identities of his alleged underage co-offenders, broke into a local caravan park in the early hours of June 11 and stole keys to a Toyota dual-cab ute.

Around an hour later, it is alleged the group drove to the pearl farm in the stolen car and covered their faces with clothing to hide their identities.

The prosecution said the group then used tools to prize open security shutters and smashed the front door open before ransacking the premises and stealing $1,000 cash.

A container full of pearls sits on a bench
Willie Creek Pearl Farm is one of the premier pearl farms in WA’s Kimberley region.(Rural ABC: Courtney Fowler)

They then allegedly went into the showroom and smashed glass panels housing thousands of dollars worth of jewelery and stole an estimated $73,620 worth before fleeing.

The farm’s caretaker alerted police the next morning and officers arrested the 18-year-old a day later and charged him with aggravated burglary and commit, stealing and theft of a motor vehicle.

He was also caught with drug paraphernalia at the time of his arrest but police said much of what was stolen in the burglary was missing.

Police said they had CCTV footage of the group at the farm, and while their faces were covered in the vision, investigators said they had mobile phone footage that appeared to show them wearing the same face coverings later on the night of the burglary.

The forensics unit also uncovered DNA at the scene, police said.

The 18-year-old man has pleaded guilty to all charges.

Broome Courthouse
The man faced a Broome court on Monday.(ABC Kimberley: Tom Forrest)

At Monday’s court hearing, he applied for bail and cited his need to carry out sorry business after the recent death of his great-grandfather.

Magistrate Andrew Maughan granted the application despite the man’s record but imposed a strict curfew that would only allow him to leave his house with his father or his bail support officer.

Mr Maughan said there would be harsh consequences if he broke his bail.

“He may as well take his toothbrush to court if he breaches,” the magistrate said.

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Queensland police charge four people linked to Brisbane gym franchise with money laundering

Queensland police charge four people linked to Brisbane gym franchise with money laundering

Queensland police have charged four people as part of a lengthy money laundering investigation in which more than $1.5 million was allegedly transferred to an offshore location.

The charges come after police intercepted a plane at Redcliffe Airport in 2020 and seized cocaine, large quantities of cannabis and $9 million in cash and weapons.

The incident led to Operation Romeo Mugwort and further evidence of the alleged laundering.

Police identified people linked to a gym franchise operating in Brisbane allegedly transferring structured monetary deposits via a money remittance service to an overseas location.

Detectives question a man at a Brisbane gy
Detectives questioned a man at a Brisbane gym allegedly connected to the transfer of money to offshore accounts. (Supplied: Queensland Police Service)

A 33-year-old Morningside man has been charged with nine counts of money laundering knowingly, and a 51-year-old West End woman has been charged with 34 counts of the same offense.

A 37-year-old man from Lawnton and a 44-year-old West End man have each been charged with one count of money laundering knowingly with circumstances of aggravation being part of a criminal organization.

All four have been released on bail and will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 24.

Detectives are expected to make further arrests and have urged anyone with information to contact police.

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NT Opposition ramps up calls for Chief Minister to handover documents to ICAC

A woman in a green blazer sits behind a desk with a microphone

The Northern Territory Chief Minister is under renewed pressure to allow the anti-corruption watchdog to access secret cabinet documents that were the subject of a “serious allegation”.

In a report tabled in parliament last month, Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, Michael Riches, said he initiated an investigation after receiving a claim that a cabinet submission had been “edited” by a public officer “so as to be misleading to the true state of affairs”.

However, because current legislation prevents the ICAC from accessing cabinet-related material, Mr Riches said he “invited” then chief minister Michael Gunner to consider handing over the relevant documents.

Mr Gunner declined the request, which Mr Riches said was his legal right, but he added that doing so prevented further investigation.

Lia Finocchiaro at a press conference.
Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro has accused the Chief Minister of trying to avoid scrutiny. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

The Opposition has been calling for Ms Fyles, who took over from Mr Gunner in May, to handover the material, given she later agreed to grant the ICAC access to other cabinet-related documents that were the subject of a different allegation.

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