Should Wortley now resign?
Minister Russell Wortley has apparently ignored calls from the Police Commissioner to refer allegations of corruption at Burnside Council to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).
Having read the MacPherson report, the Commissioner asked Mr Wortley to give consideration to referring the allegations to the ACB for further investigation.
In the face of the Commissioner’s advice, Mr Wortley declared he was referring the matters to the DPP – who can’t investigate.
Furthermore, it appears the Minister needs to clarify conflicting public statements made on 7 July 2011. Mr Wortley told Parliament that “all the allegations that are made in this report have already been referred to the ACB of the South Australian Police”.
The Commissioner understands they haven’t.
“Mr Wortley must explain whether he has taken the advice of departmental staff who haven’t read the report, over our State’s most senior law enforcement officer who has,” Shadow Attorney-General Stephen Wade said today.
“Mr Wortley might be happy to fly blind – hear no evil, see no evil – but the Police Commissioner has seen the report and he says there is enough evil in it to refer it to the ACB.
“If Mr Wortley can’t explain his contradictory comments, he simply has no choice but to resign.
“It’s as simple as that.”