NSW Police Commissioner Gin: NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has confirmed her office will no longer distribute bottles of gin and has ordered a review of the organisation’s gifting policies following allegations of parliamentary immunity.
Commissioner Webb issued a statement on Friday saying he should have disclosed his relationship with the distributor when he learned of it.
“I would like to reiterate that the purchase of alcohol for ceremonial gifts and charitable donations was a tradition that I continued as Commissioner and which I have continued as before through the supplier,” the statement said.
“Before I placed the first order, I had no idea that the manufacturer was Hope Estate.
“It is clear to me that I should have announced my engagement to the Hope family when I found out.”
The statement came after New South Wales state independent MP Rod Roberts on Wednesday accused Commissioner Webb of purchasing more than 100 bottles of gin with taxpayers’ money under his parliamentary immunity.
Mr Roberts also said that the inspector himself had consumed some alcohol.
The commissioner denied the allegation and said the bottles were ordered as gifts and for charitable purposes.
The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) also said the affair should have been disclosed earlier after it launched an investigation into the situation last year.
“The Commission concluded that Commissioner Webb should have disclosed his relationship with the supplier when he learned of the purchase of Commissioners Gin,” the LECC said.”
In his statement today, Commissioner Webb said they had reviewed the stock and gift register and “can confirm that 32 bottles were distributed as gifts or donated to charity.”
“I have asked that the remaining 18 bottles be donated to Police Legacy for charitable purposes.”
The second order of 50 bottles still needs to be paid for and will be returned to the supplier, he said.
Commissioner Webb also released a copy of the gift register showing where the bottles were delivered.
“The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission investigated this case and found no evidence of serious misconduct,” he said in his statement.
Shortly before Mr Roberts made his anonymous complaint to Parliament last year, the LECC announced that it was investigating Commissioner Ginn’s purchase, albeit for a different reason.
The LECC said it received an anonymous complaint in September last year relating to the purchase of gins and gift boxes.
The complaint alleged that the Commissioner had a conflict of interest which he had failed to disclose.
The LECC launched an investigation called Operation Askern, which has now been concluded.
“The evidence does not support a finding of serious misconduct by Commissioner Webb or any other police officer in connection with the purchase of Commissioner Gin and the gift box,” the LECC said in a statement.
The Commission also concluded that the purchase was in line with NSW Police policies, but also identified deficiencies in the conduct of Commissioner Webb.
