Investigation summaries

Operation Styx

Operation Styx was an investigation into allegations of inappropriate information disclosure by a police member regarding an internal police investigation.

We received information from Victoria Police concerning the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive information by a member of the Victoria Police Professional Standards Command (PSC) to a serving police member under investigation. The allegations were exposed during an interview with an officer during the course of PSC Operation Clinique.

Sensitive documents identified as being accessed and printed by an officer, were located by police whilst conducting unrelated inquiries. This prompted the start of Taskforce Keel, formed to explore links between members of the Victoria Police and criminal elements, including members with links to outlaw motor cycle gangs.

The allegations made were that a target of Operation Clinique (Target 1) recounted that another target (Target 2) had received information concerning covert methodologies being used in the investigation of him. This information allegedly came via an intermediary who had allegedly been warned by a member of PSC.

Outcome

In the course of witness interviews and private coercive witness examinations, the evidence from those directly concerned supported an IBAC finding that the now former member of PSC (who had since been promoted to another area of Victoria Police) had improperly leaked the highly sensitive information in question. The former PSC member was an unsatisfactory witness, stating he could not remember the incident but was not prepared to deny it may have occurred.

As a result of IBAC's investigation, Victoria Police took disciplinary action, admonishing the former PSC member.