Eight implicated including slain lawyer, Informer 3838 royal commission told
A court clerk, a legal secretary, a legal adviser and a gunned-down Mafia lawyer are among the seven people who have been referred to the Royal Commission into Management of Police Informants in addition to Informer 3838.
The royal commission, in its directions hearing on Friday morning, heard that Victoria Police disclosed there were seven possible police informers, as well as 3838 or Lawyer X, who may have breached their legal professional privilege, Commissioner Margaret McMurdo AC said.
It was only revealed last week that there were other informers in addition to Informer 3838 who may have breached professional confidentiality, but at the time police said there were only six in total.
The commission was told on Friday that Informer 3838 would "co-operatively assist" its investigations.
The royal commission also heard that only one of the police contacts, a male solicitor who met with officers in April 2014, was identified as possibly breaching their professional obligations.
Police listed him as a "community contact" and "given the risks posed by his profession", he was not approved as a police informer and his file was deactivated in May 2014 without intelligence being obtained, the commissioner said.
Police disclosed there was another lawyer, now deceased, who had provided information.
This lawyer’s death is the subject of an "ongoing homicide investigation," the commissioner said.
It is understood he was slain mafia lawyer Joseph "Pino" Acquaro, although he was not named in Friday's royal commission hearing.
The 54-year-old, who represented several prominent Melbourne gangland and Calabrian crime figures, was shot and killed as he left his Lygon Street cafe Gelobar in Brunswick East in March 2016.
His client list included convicted drug trafficker Francesco Madafferi and underworld identity Rocco Arico.
Last year homicide squad detectives charged 69-year-old Vincent Crupi with murder in relation to Mr Acquaro's death.
In the royal commission on Friday, Ms McMurdo gave more details about the other police sources.
One was a court clerk who was registered from January 8, 2011 until May 11, 2016, she said.
The second, registered from 2009 until 2016, was possibly a court clerk or legal secretary with a law firm, but was not a practising lawyer.
Another was possibly a legal secretary in a corporation who was considered a "community contact" but not an informer, in 2015.
And another was a self-proclaimed legal adviser, but was not a registered legal practitioner.
The commission will investigate court cases tainted by the criminal barrister Informer 3838, also known as Lawyer X, who turned police informer.
Given the registered number 3838, the lawyer turned supergrass and shared information about Melbourne’s criminal underbelly, some of which were her own clients.
In her decade-long career as a barrister, Informer 3838 represented a cross-section of Melbourne’s underworld.
She had become a trusted adviser to drug traffickers, murderers and Mafia figures.
Christopher Winneke QC said 3838, given the acronym EF, was in communication with the commission through her lawyers.
"It is understood that she will co-operatively assist the Commission in its investigation," Mr Winneke said.
Mr Winneke said Informer 3838 was first registered as a human source in 1995, and again in 1999 before her deregistration in 2009. The commission will enquire into the number of cases affected by her conduct.
The inquiry will also investigate the conduct of current and former members of Victoria Police in their recruitment and handling of her.
Mr Winneke said the commission will investigate if any legal advice was sought by Victoria Police before or during 3838’s registration.
He said her status and information was not disclosed to the state or commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
"The Commission will examine whether this apparent situation is in fact correct, and if so, why there was no such disclosure," he said.
Mr Winneke said the significance of this royal commission cannot be understated.
"The legitimacy of our criminal justice system relies on the process being fair and even-handed," he said.
"All members of the community, including importantly the victims of criminal activity, must be able to trust that the justice system and the individuals working within it ... will adhere to the highest standards of integrity and propriety."
Who they are
The people referred to the royal commission into police informers are :
- A court clerk.
- A possible court clerk or legal secretary.
- A legal secretary in a corporation, who was a "community contact", but not a registered informer.
- A solicitor who was a "community contact", but not a registered informer. This solicitor did not give police information about their own clients.
- A former solicitor, who provided police with information over three days, but was never registered as an informer.
- A "self-proclaimed legal adviser".
- A lawyer, now deceased, who had provided information to police. It is understood he was slain mafia lawyer Joseph "Pino" Acquaro.
- EF, also known as Informer 3838 or Lawyer X