TWO Liverpool detectives have admitted stealing and selling illegal tobacco products and extorting money from their owners not to investigate or inform other authorities.
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But they are at odds over whose idea it was, the Police Integrity Commission heard yesterday.
One man, codenamed LP1, told the commission the proposal came from his colleague Nasser Battal. He said he agreed after some ethical concerns because he needed money after a marriage breakdown.
After the first theft at a Merrylands tobacconists, LP1 said he had second thoughts. "I was still haunted. One side of me was saying I needed the money; the other said it's the wrong thing to do."
He explained Senior Constable Battal went into the shop and asked for illegal tobacco. When it was produced, he signalled to LP1, who entered the shop. The men then identified themselves as police officers, asked for all illegal tobacco, and discussed the possibility of not informing tax or customs authorities until the shopkeeper offered cash.
But Senior Constable Battal said it was LP1 who came up with the plan because he had previously worked in that field.
Senior Constable Battal also initially denied knowledge of another incident in which the men went to a Cabramatta house and took about $110,000 worth of tobacco, on which no tax had been paid, and counterfeit cigarettes. He remembered details after he was told the commission had surveillance and had bugged his phone call discussing stolen numberplates for the truck of a friend, Ahmad Masri, used in the operation.
In another call, LP1 and Senior Constable Battal also discussed a payment of $40,000 from the Cabramatta home owner. Senior Constable Battal told LP1 rumours had spread about their involvement in the theft after the owner, who was supplying illegal tobacco to many Chinese businesses in the region, told people about their "seizure".
Senior Constable Battal also told the commission about plans to go into business with a man, Mick Hijazi. He said he went to China and Las Vegas with LP1 and Mr Hijazi to investigate the idea of a tyre business, and while in the US they visited Mr Hijazi's relatives in Canada for a day.
Senior Constable Battal also told the commission his brother had paid $150,000 into his mortgage within two weeks because the family helped each other out.
