Officer accused of telling travel agent to pay $20,000 to avoid theft inquiry

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When she later on explained to her employer she would be pursuing the firm for unpaid wages, the journey agency did not answer.

Emails received by The Age and A Current Affair reveal the company forwarded her information to Dean, from the Melbourne felony investigation device – the similar officer who dropped his card in the woman’s mail.

“I have instructed Odyssey Journey that my legal investigation retains priority above your customers [sic] civil dispute,” Dean wrote to the woman’s lawyer from his law enforcement e mail account.

“As these, Odyssey Vacation will not be offering any further material pending the consequence of the prison investigation.”

The woman’s law firm, Kurt Esser, has questioned why an officer would produce on behalf of a non-public corporation.

The woman was interviewed three moments, together with on two instances when the “informal” interrogation was allegedly not recorded, opposite to police protocol, the affidavit statements.

It is alleged that without the need of an interpreter existing, Dean told the Chinese countrywide, who speaks limited English, she was suspected of stealing in between $50,000 and $100,000 from the journey agency.

On the next celebration the girl was introduced into the station, Dean was allegedly sitting down beside Cheng “Christine” Zhang, Odyssey’s owner.

“If you shell out Christine $20,000 then I will discontinue my investigation of your theft,” Dean reported, in accordance to the affidavit.

She was interrogated a 3rd time and charged with theft.

In the identical yr, Dean and two family members members allegedly acquired tickets to Bangkok and Hong Kong, including four flights from the vacation agency for round journeys well worth countless numbers of bucks.

They have been a gift to Dean as the invoices were being billed to the enterprise and not him, in accordance to the travel agent’s affidavit.

Following a absence of proof, the expenses in opposition to the travel agent ended up withdrawn in court docket in Might very last calendar year and the Main Commissioner of Police was ordered to pay her authorized prices.

The anti-corruption watchdog will maintain community hearings future 7 days, investigating no matter if Dean misused his situation to “improperly influence parties to, or folks included in, civil disputes or litigation”, and whether or not he tried to pervert the study course of justice by falsifying documents.

Solicitor Marin Karlos, of Carbone Legal professionals, served the female acquire a payout towards Odyssey adhering to “severe psychiatric injuries”.

“My client’s WorkCover claim was initially turned down on the alleged basis that she was the subject matter of an investigation of economical theft – an accusation that my customer has at all occasions vehemently rejected,” Karlos mentioned.

“Our customer awaits the result of the IBAC investigation and considers that the conduct of the employer and all get-togethers included to be suspicious, to say the minimum.”

Dean has been suspended from obligation pending the investigation, Victoria Law enforcement confirmed.

Remark has been sought from Odyssey Journey. Dean was unable to be arrived at for comment.

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