Latest news with #CrimeandCorruptionCommission
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
A ‘wanted' Aussie man has been shot by police in Townsville
An allegedly 'wanted' Aussie man has been shot by police in Townsville. Police received reports a man in his 20s was walking along Carthew St in Thuringowa Central about 3.16pm on Sunday afternoon. A Queensland Police spokesperson alleged the man was 'wanted' in a statement. Police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards, where an officer discharged a firearm. The man was given medical assistance immediately after. He was taken to Townsville University Hospital by paramedics, where he is receiving treatment. A Queensland Police spokesperson confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the public. Anyone with information, including dashcam footage, has been urged to come forward. The Ethical Standards Command is investigating the incident, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission. Originally published as A 'wanted' Aussie man has been shot by police in Townsville
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Cops shoot ‘wanted' Aussie man
An allegedly 'wanted' Aussie man has been shot by police in Townsville. Police received reports a man in his 20s was walking along Carthew St in Thuringowa Central about 3.16pm on Sunday afternoon. A Queensland Police spokesperson alleged the man was 'wanted' in a statement. An allegedly 'wanted' Aussie man has been shot by police in Townsville. Google Maps. Credit: Supplied Police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards, where an officer discharged a firearm. The man was given medical assistance immediately after. He was taken to Townsville University Hospital by paramedics, where he is receiving treatment. A Queensland Police spokesperson confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the public. Anyone with information, including dashcam footage, has been urged to come forward. The Ethical Standards Command is investigating the incident, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission.
NZ Herald
18-07-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Anti-Corruption Taskforce could grow to cover private sector; Serious Fraud Office chief says ‘billions' potentially lost to fraud and bribery each year
She said many SFO cases now involve public servants abusing their positions to the detriment of communities. Chang said another risk involved 'outsiders exploiting system weaknesses to steal taxpayer funds'. An outsider in that context could mean somebody from outside the public sector, or a case of foreign interference. Chang cited the recent fraud case involving businessman Hun Min's abuse of pandemic-era wage subsidies. 'He was convicted of all charges where he defrauded and attempted to defraud more than $2 million worth of Covid-19 subsidies. So he is obviously an outsider, but he is taking advantage of the system.' Chang said many corruption cases now involve risks to health and safety. 'A simple example of that would be bribing a building inspector to waive through building consents, or bribing a health official for a contract to supply medical equipment to our hospitals.' Mitchell said it was too early to say if a new anti-corruption unit with special investigative powers should be established. Across the Tasman, Queensland has the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) and New South Wales has the Anti-Corruption Taskforce. The CCC has special investigative powers and has prosecuted multiple corrupt politicians in recent years, including disgraced former Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale. Mitchell said the SFO was the natural choice for gathering information about corruption risks to the New Zealand public sector. But the taskforce had no funding beyond what agencies already had in this year's Budget, and no full-time staff. The SFO said today that it would work with six agencies on the taskforce. Those were Inland Revenue, ACC, Corrections, the Ministry of Social Development, Land Information New Zealand and Sport New Zealand. The Herald asked if airlines and their luggage handlers might be scrutinised by the taskforce. Auckland baggage handler Kimela Kolo Piukana was prosecuted for his role in a methamphetamine-smuggling syndicate last year. And former Air New Zealand baggage handler Sese Vimah was last year exposed as the ringleader of corrupt baggage handlers. 'We need to start somewhere, and we're starting with the public service, which represents a third of our economy,' Chang said. Police Minister Mark Mitchell said: 'My sense of it is, yes, I agree that there is private sector interest in this, because they obviously identify their own vulnerabilities.' He said it was too soon to say exactly how that might work. 'My gut feeling on it with conversations that I have ... is that they welcome it and they want to engage, because it's a health check for them and gives them a sense of security that they're actually being able to deal with any criminal offending or corruption that may emerge in their own business.' Chang said no agencies had displayed any reluctance to work with the taskforce. The officials said the taskforce would conduct a 'health check' on the six agencies selected. They indicated an agency's inclusion on the list did not mean it was assumed to have an existing corruption or bribery problem, but may be at risk, or comparable agencies abroad had problems with corruption. Mitchell said Customs was not included in the taskforce because it was already proactive in tackling risks. He said concerns about meth trafficking were not as big a driver of the taskforce as New Zealand's slide down anti-corruption rankings was. In the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, New Zealand ranked first-equal, but by this year it had slipped to fourth place. 'In a procurement system, whether it be responding to emergency management ... whether it be the delivery of education infrastructure, which is huge, then we will see lots of different opportunities and touch points where there is a chance for an official to be bribed or for corruption to creep into the system,' he added. The taskforce, a pilot programme, is expected to prepare a public report and advice to ministers by the end of the year. 'My gut feeling is this is going to be a very successful pilot, and then we're going to want to see how we roll this out and how we make it even more effective.' Chambers said there was already some division of labour involving the SFO and police tackling bribery and corruption investigations. 'From time to time, we'll pick up some work that needs to be done on these matters.' A press conference in Auckland today also heard there was no legal requirement in many agencies to report fraud and corruption to auditors. Mitchell said the taskforce findings could eventually result in law changes. John Weekes is a business journalist mostly covering aviation and courts. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Suspended Townsville mayor Troy Thompson gets pay rise despite CCC probe
Suspended Townsville mayor Troy Thompson will receive a pay rise while under investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission. The first-term mayor was suspended by Queensland Local Government Minister Anne Leahy for 12 months in November on full pay of about $225,000 per year. Mr Thompson's military, education and business credentials are the subject of an ongoing CCC investigation. Townsville councillors had until today, July 1, to pass a resolution to reject a 2.5 per cent pay rise, which will automatically apply to all councillors, including Mr Thompson. Cr Andrew Robinson confirmed last week there would be no effort to oppose the pay increase. Townsville City Council's in-house media team declined to comment. The Queensland Local Government Remuneration Commission determined the 2.5 per cent increase in late 2024. The commission categorises councils and determines the maximum wage payable to councillors. The government body said the need to attract quality council candidates was one of several factors in its decision. Mr Thompson receives his annual salary of about $225,000 while suspended. The 2.5 per cent increase will push his annual earnings above $230,000. Remuneration for Townsville's deputy mayor has increased to $156,000 each year, while councillors will earn up to $138,000 with the pay rise. A spokesperson for the Crime and Corruption Commission declined to comment on the status of the investigation into Mr Thompson. During a visit to Townsville this month, Premier David Crisafulli said he had no idea how long the investigation might take. "I share the frustrations of the community," Mr Crisafulli said. "The CCC is doing the investigation and that is a question they would have to answer. "I would like to see that resolved."
The Age
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Watchdog, public officials oppose bid to increase Qld police powers
The Crisafulli government is under pressure to allow an independent evaluation of Queensland's wanding laws before it gives police greater power to search people in public places. The LNP this month introduced legislative amendments that would make wanding, under Jack's Law, permanent, and remove various safeguards including the need for evidentiary and subjective tests before a location is authorised for searches. After parliament sent the amendments to a committee for consideration, several statutory authorities and other stakeholders criticised the LNP's bid to entrench and expand wanding powers without the independent evaluation recommended by a previous committee. Crime and Corruption Commission chairman Bruce Barbour – who has raised concern about an increase in complaints about police – told the committee the bill should include 'an independent, contemporary review of the expanded wanding trial' as was expected before late 2026. Victims Commissioner Beck O'Connor supported Jack's Law being made permanent, but also called for a review and the retention of existing safeguards. Loading 'Any erosion in public confidence and trust that police are exercising their powers fairly and in a non-discriminatory manner may also result in a decrease in reporting of other serious crime, which may ultimately impact upon the support received by those victims of crime,' she said. The Queensland Police Union not only supported the bill but called for it to go further. It said authorisation should not be required for wanding at major public places including South Bank, the Roma Street rail and parkland precinct, shopping centres and malls. Queensland Family and Child Commission chief Luke Twyford – who the government appointed to lead its review of the Blue Card system – called for a greater focus on prevention, rather than interventions that might lead to 'unintended consequences'.
