FED: NCA wants better protection for informers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-1999
FED: NCA wants better protection for informers

By Kate Burrows

SYDNEY, Aug 16 AAP - Laws should be overhauled to give informers the same legal protection
as police in undercover operations, the National Crime Authority (NCA) said today.

Peter Lamb, the NCA's general manager operations, told a Parliamentary Joint Committee
hearing in Sydney that informants were the single biggest tool in helping the authority
prosecute organised crime bosses.

"Therefore, the protection that is afforded to law enforcement officers should be extended
to cater for civilians," Mr Lamb told the hearing.

NCA chairman John Broome said informants were the most vulnerable in controlled operations
yet were not awarded protection under current legislation.

Mr Broome said uniform national legislation would increase the NCA's success, currently
limited by the different jurisdictions governing officers in each state and territory.

"We would be more successful in that we would increase our capacity to detect and deter
significant criminal activity," Mr Broome said.

The committee is investigating whether to make changes to the Crimes Amendment (Controlled
Operations) Act 1996, which governs the NCA's undercover operations.

Controlled operations are investigations in which police officers and often informants are
involved in illegal activity to catch criminals.

NSW Law Society criminal law committee spokesman Trevor Nyman said a change in commonwealth
legislation in line with the NCR's demands would give its officers the power to break the law.

"Fundamentally it gives them a licence to break the law, a licence to sell drugs and a
licence to deal in stolen goods," Mr Nyman said.

Head of the parliamentary joint committee Senator Jeannie Ferris said the NCA had made a
strong argument to have its powers relating to undercover operations expanded.

"The NCA put in a very strong case to expand its power to include a wider range of options
in relation to controlled operations," Senator Ferris said.

She said the NCA received approval to carry out undercover operations from various sources,
including judges and senior police in each state.

The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties joined the NSW Law Society in opposing the
NCA's stance.

Senator Ferris said the committee expected to bring in a report by the end of October.

The committee will sit in Brisbane tomorrow.

AAP kb/sb/trm/br

KEYWORD: NCA NIGHTLEAD

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