It is believed that Victoria Police are investigating these allegations in conjunction with police and Environmental and Health authorities from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
In other breaking news, Victoria Police announced it has smashed a highly organised paedophile ring involving at least a dozen men. It is alleged that members of the group filmed themselves in pornographic acts with children as young as four and no older than twelve years. Investigations also uncovered a substantial and highly active internet sales and distribution network run by the group within Australia and several overseas countries. It is believed that members of the group were confirmed from several home videos found among the personal effects of deceased politician, Lance Baker. In a clockwork operation across Melbourne suburbs today, twelve men were arrested on charges of pornography and sexual misconduct with minors. All have since been bailed after suppression orders were placed on their identities. The ABC has lodged an application with the Supreme Court of Victoria to contest the order which is listed for hearing on Friday, August 26. Even though the men cannot be named, the ABC has learned that among them is a Judge of the County Court, two senior police, several prominent public servants and executives from some of Melbourne’s most prestigious companies. The investigation was commenced several months ago after a cache of pornographic images showing children at different locations around Melbourne was found in a Collins Street office building. The ABC understands that nothing among those images identified members of the group. While police kept their investigation low key, matters accelerated when the Baker videos came to light.
Neither the Premier nor Attorney General was available for comment about these events.
Mr Baker’s widow could not be contacted and members of her family said she is overseas with her children.
In a separate matter today, the Assistant Commissioner for Crime, Mr David Tavistock, and the Assistant Commissioner for Ethical Standards, Mr Si Nguyen, announced that fifteen police were suspended from duty over serious corruption allegations. Two of the fifteen are believed to be attached to the Ethical Standards Department. Five of the fifteen were, late this afternoon, charged at a special sittings of the Magistrates’ Court at Melbourne and remanded in custody after bail was refused. Offences alleging bribery, theft, assault, the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs, possession of unregistered firearms and conspiracy were brought against the men. The remaining ten officers have been suspended from duty and their passports seized. The Assistant Commissioners said while their investigations remained ongoing, they were satisfied that for the moment, they had intercepted and interrupted a deeply embedded group of corrupt police engaged in broad scale criminal activity.
Unlike the paedophile story, we can bring you the names and locations of the fifteen police officers who include …’
Pescaro’s aged malt whiskey suddenly tasted like vinegar. Every one of the fifteen names was a key source. None had been missed. When earlier he had considered the possibility of a major leak in the Family he had been somewhat sceptical – he was wrong. That all fifteen snouts were identified at the same time suggested a highly placed informer. This, on top of Franse and Gibaldi, was incredibly bad news.
He turned the television off to think. After mentally reviewing the qualities of his capos he was as certain as he could be that the informer was none of them. The deaths of Franse and Gibaldi had had an electrifying effect on the Family, particularly his capos. None would be so foolish to attack him now. Apart from that, he had spoken to Ed Masseria about a formal handover. He wouldn’t be Don for much longer.
He sat reflecting quietly. Gradually, there came a triangulation. At first he thought it preposterous, but the more he reflected, the less it became so.
He knew of Tavistock’s secret enquiry but not the extent to which Ethical Standards was involved. They had kept that really tight. Over the past few days he had picked up murmurs from the OPP. These too had involved Tavistock and centred upon a dispute in that office involving a high powered informant. His last piece of information had come from a police source only yesterday – no human remains had been found in Teresa’s ruined house.
These discrete pieces of information together with Zimmer’s story today led him to the impossible conclusion that Teresa was the informer. She had turned and dobbed him in. Ice cold rage swept through him. After everything he had done for her. The loss of his police spies was catastrophic and there was no time to cultivate new ones. He would have to confirm his suspicion by other means. He picked up the telephone, totally pissed off that he had to ring the State Attorney General at home. For all the Judas coin that bastard had received HE should have called HIM days, if not weeks ago.
Chapter
SIXTY- SEVEN
By 6:20 the following morning, David Tavistock had been at work an hour. Not that he was a workaholic, he firmly believed in balancing life between work, family and leisure. Rather, the Marchese case with its poisonous mix of politics and organised crime required his closest scrutiny. That several of Melbourne’s most influential names were embroiled in the waste scam was added pressure. Additionally, the Chief Commissioner had asked him to personally guide matters to their proper conclusion. Tavistock appreciated the Chief ’s confidence as the previous Chief Commissioner – a controversial political appointment – had eroded much of the independence required between government and police. The new Chief was working hard, and against the odds, to restore that independence. An intelligent man, he picked his battles wisely and was fearless in his public confrontations with government. Ever a prudent man however, he demanded, and received, dry ammunition. While the Marchese case had, so far, failed to reveal the full depth of government complicity in the Baker – Aldrittson – Pescaro imbroglio, the Chief was taking no chances. That meant very long days for Tavistock.
He stood, stretched, eased the tension in his neck and walked to his window. From the sixth floor of Crime Department Headquarters he gazed down on the broad tree lined carriageway of St Kilda Road. Spring was imminent. Evidence of bud-burst and the promise of fresh growth peeped from the elm and plane trees. Varied hues of green blushed from the grounds of Melbourne Grammar School and the gardens surrounding the Shrine of Remembrance. A cheeky, but thin film of sunlight gnawed at the night shadows. On the footpath, Tavistock saw pinched pale faces set against the cold. Cold that was accentuated by a blustery wind teasing debris and grit into flurries of nuisance. Two trams lumbered by. Cars and trucks constantly expanded into the space, most with headlights burning. Bicycles, mounted by frantic and colourful riders, darted boldly along the stately boulevard, in and out of traffic like weft in the warp of some giant loom.
At 6:30 his two Commanders, Danniellson and Donovan, entered. He ushered them to the round table. These meetings shaped not only the day but often the week and kept them all in the loop. Tavistock’s careful and cryptic session notes were recorded in a day book, open on the table. They were an organic history of clarification, task verification, resource allocation, progress, problems, solutions, personnel matters and incidents throughout the day. The gathering was a familiar ritual.
‘Morning lads. Hot fresh coffee on the hob if you want it.’ He inclined his head towards the credenza at one side of his office. ‘How did our friend Aldrittson react to the story in yesterday’s paper Rob?’
‘Not to put too fine a point on it Boss, he’s shittin’ tacks.’ Speaking over his shoulder with a lop-sided grin, Danniellson’s tone was wry as he moved on the coffee. ‘I think he expects Pescaro around every corner. When he rang Saturday morning to see if he could do a deal in exchange for protection, he was terrified. He’d received two death threats that morning, which we have on tape, and when I picked him up,’ Danniellson wrinkled his nose at the recall, ‘he was a mess. He’s safe now though and happy to talk about his shonky deals.’
‘Any trouble with prison authorities about getting in to see him Rob?’
Danniellson shook his head. ‘No
, none, they’ve been great.’ They joined Tavistock at the table with their coffee.
‘What about you Paul; everything right with Teresa?’
‘Yes Boss, although she’s very concerned about the OPP’s opposition to the indemnity.’ He frowned. ‘Do you really think they’ll push it to the wire and insist on her prosecution?’
‘No.’ Tavistock was quietly thoughtful for a few moments. ‘No. Look, I fully appreciate that Pescaro runs his empire like a multi-national corporation and uses a business model to launder his cash, but when the OPP learns the full scope of what she’s given us, and sees the detail, they’ll roll over. Remember, so far they’ve only had some briefing notes and a couple of information sessions. We’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s a hell of a long way to go before we reach prosecution. Anything else?’
‘Yeah,’ said Donovan nodding. ‘Had a call from Witsec yesterday. They took Marchese to see Drummond for the first time since he was shot. They allowed her ten minutes – his shoulder reconstruction is today.’
‘Any problems?’
‘No Boss, it all went well.’ He grinned, ‘I understand that her minder – Campbell – said afterwards Marchese was overdosed on happiness.’
‘Good,’ Tavistock allowed himself a wry smile, ‘she deserves a bit of that. Changing direction slightly, have you lads given any thought to the implications of the Sunday Herald - Sun article or the ABC news last night?’
Both Commanders nodded.
Danniellson said, ‘Yes, I watched the Channel Nine news and thought the story would be a big kick in the teeth to Pescaro. He’ll be angry and want to retaliate. He may or may not know about Marchese, but, if he does, he’ll be doing everything he can to find her. We still have to be vigilant inside our own camp – I think we should ratchet up security on Marchese and Drummond.’
‘Paul?’
‘Couldn’t agree more Boss. Had exactly the same thought. Another thing too. I chased up Zimmer. She had a lot of precise detail that worried me. Turns out Martin Judd, one of our suspects from Aldrittson’s, spilled the beans. She was quite co-operative. I let her know there’s more to come so she’s promised to check with us about anything that might potentially compromise the investigation. The deal is that when we can, we give her some early leads. She’s pretty good.’
‘Don’t disagree, but put it through the Media Office first. I have to say I was concerned about all that detail too. Did Zimmer say how she got it?’
‘Unusually, she did. She was laughing about it and I have no reason to doubt her – a gossipy afternoon tea between old ladies at her mother’s home. Beyond that she wouldn’t say more but evidently, one of the attendees was in the know.’
‘Okay, back to security. Paul would you see to Marchese and Drummond please? A couple of things, make sure the OIC at Communications is up to speed. If we have to mobilise troops suddenly, I want everything oiled and ready and, if you put extra people at the hospital, make sure they are experienced.’
‘Sure.’
‘Where are you at with that list of Pescaro’s companies you got from Teresa?’
‘Well, there’s more than fifty of the buggers. Some are incorporated in other states and the others are off-shore. The whole web is extraordinarily complex and as we anticipated, Wyvern and Sprite is the common thread. Main thing is, we are slowly building a paper trail and have a solid beginning. We’ve enlisted aid from interstate forces and the feds are examining the overseas stuff. Feedback from them is that progress is either snail pace or zilch in places like Nauru, Mexico, Cayman, Lebanon, Colombia and Pakistan. I guess that’s why Pescaro chose them. I’m anticipating losses there. Speaking of the feds boy, have they copped a migraine.’
Danniellson, consuming a mouthful of coffee looked concerned. ‘Why, what’s going on?’ he asked.
‘Well, they’re liaising with ASIC and the ASX over Pescaro’s insider trading scam … You know Boss, if Pescaro had taken another life path, he could still have been hugely wealthy, but honestly so.’ Donovan’s voice was tinged with a mixture of wonderment and disgust.
Tavistock’s eyes gleamed, the corners of his mouth twitching as he suppressed a smile. ‘How so Paul? You’re not going soft on me are you?’
‘Hell no, far from it. It’s just that his patience and willingness to study the lessons of history for making money is, to say the least, unusual. His insider trading rort for instance is a classic case of stealth, patience and long term vision.’
‘Come on,’ said Danniellson laughing, ‘don’t keep it a secret, maybe we can all get rich.’
Donovan grinned, ‘We don’t have enough time Sunshine, it’s taken Pescaro years. I was talking to an ASIC investigator last Friday. They learned from Marchese that Pescaro was impressed by the amount of private money pumped into Australian development and infrastructure between 1945 and 1960. About two thirds of it came from private enterprise and Pescaro regarded it as his to milk. By the late sixties the mining boom was on, insider trading was rife and there was very little regulatory control. Pescaro was on his way up and saw opportunity. He encouraged soldiers with bright children to put them into universities. By doing that he acquired a suite of skills in law, finance, banking, management and so forth. As these kids qualified they were inserted into big law firms, accountancy practices, stockbroking companies, banks and investment houses.’ Donnovan had settled into his chair comfortably and was recounting the tale with a touch of awe, almost as though he were speaking of a friend. ‘These kids were then mentored, guided and moved around and up. They matured, acquired influence in their various fields, became directors and were headhunted for cross directorships in multiple companies, a practice akin to holding the biscuit barrel. They got to choose precisely which piece of “inside information” they wanted to make use of. Throughout all this the Family team constantly, but not greedily, traded securities and shares using agents to purchase and conceal transactions. Systematically they rorted the system and amassed big money. It was hard to discover and harder to prove. The whole scam was assisted by laws that were pretty much toothless and by regulators who virtually ignored this kind of stuff. The ASIC guy told me that between the sixties and eighties, insider trading scarcely got a look in. The main concern then was market rigging, share price ramping, hoarding and company directors who abused their powers. Pescaro saw this blind spot and siphoned it to the hilt. The profits must have been stupendous because he was virtually unhindered by law or enforcement. The result is that he’s been able to weave scores of influential people and companies into his empire, compromise them by quick, illicit wealth and consolidate his own executives in a raft of prominent companies and positions. It’s almost impossible to determine who’s genuine, who isn’t, who’s tainted and who isn’t. It’s been a hard nut to crack. I’m just glad this is a federal headache and not ours. It’s been a right bastard,’ finished Donovan.
Tavistock said quietly, ‘The lesson for us is to be doubly careful with every facet of our investigation. Double, triple check, take nothing for granted and never underestimate our opponents.’
Donovan nodded and continued. ‘Bloody oath Boss, I agree with that. And that leads me to the tax trail – polished, complex, tortuous. That’s the good news. The downside is that as long as the ATO gets its whack, it’s not particularly interested in helping us with other crime. In two of Pescaro’s matters it looks as though his minders came to an arrangement with the ATO to pay a fat chunk of tax irrespective of income legitimacy. So Boss, the money trail is hard grind for everyone and it’s taking time. This week, we’re concentrating on the interstate companies. As you might expect, Wyvern and Sprite are obstructive bastards and their firewalls are bloody good.’
Tavistock grinned at Donovan. ‘I did warn you – Pescaro is no fool. But, the bonus is that by the time we finish, not only will we have enough to “pot” Pescaro we’ll also have enough to shut down Wyvern and Sprite and a few other shady bastards too. I know it’s a slog, but keep up the g
ood work and please pass my compliments on to your teams – both of you. I hope to get out soon to tell them personally they’re doing a great job. Let me know if you need more resources. The Chief is prepared to take Meadows on in a public shit fight if necessary – he’s rabid about all this public corruption.’
‘Rob, what’s on your plate this week?’
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