EXCLUSIVE: The top cop in charge of overseeing complaints about NT Police investigations had warned officers building the murder case against Constable Zach Rolfe that their use of force “expert” Snr Sgt Andrew Barram was “not suitable” to provide evidence due to a “conflict of interest”, internal police emails obtained by the NT Independent show.
Another prominent CLP member will leave the party to run as an independent candidate in the seat of Solomon at the upcoming federal election, the NT Independent understands.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has thrown his support behind beleaguered Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker in Parliament, in the face of three NT Independent articles this week based on different detectives’ diary notes that contradict Mr Chalker’s claims that he was not involved in the process to charge Constable Zach Rolfe with murder in 2019.
NT Parliament descended into farce again Wednesday afternoon, with the Gunner Government using parliamentary technicalities to block the Opposition from asking the Chief Minister about his role in the Zach Rolfe ICAC investigation and the Speaker kicking the Opposition Leader out of Parliament, later admitting she was “confused”.
Senior NT Police figures told police media manager Rob Cross to craft a media strategy around the call to arrest Constable Zach Rolfe just minutes after his boss Commissioner Jamie Chalker left an executive meeting in November 2019, with “one consistent message” for the public: that then-assistant commissioner Nick Anticich was the man who confirmed the directive to arrest and charge, investigator notes reveal.
The Opposition has used Parliament to move a censure motion against Chief Minister Michael Gunner for rejecting a public inquiry into allegations of political interference in the Constable Zach Rolfe affair and called on him to stand aside while the ICAC investigates.
The Territory’s anti-corruption body will investigate allegations of political interference in the charging of Constable Zach Rolfe, commissioner Michael Riches has announced.
The proposed Tiger Brennan Dr – Berrimah Rd overpass project has nearly doubled in cost, ballooning from $60 million to $110 million, Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler said on Monday, suggesting increased costs of fuel and steel are to blame and that future cost blow-outs on the project are “absolutely possible”.
Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker personally referred the Constable Zach Rolfe matter to the Territory’s anti-corruption body in 2019 for what he described as “suspected improper conduct” less than 48 hours after the incident and before any charges were filed, which appears to contradict his statement last week that he was “shocked” when the criminal charges were laid.
The Opposition continued to probe the Gunner Government over the Constable Zach Rolfe murder charge in Parliament, reiterating their calls for an independent public inquiry in the wake of the Police Commissioner’s claims that he was “as shocked as anyone” about the charges being laid – which seemingly contradicts his previous public statement.
A senior adviser to the Chief Minister allegedly told an Alice Springs businessman to “fuck off” twice after he had raised concerns about crime issues during a government visit to the town last week, independent MLA Robyn Lambley said in Parliament.
The ongoing war of words between the Opposition, the union representing police, the Chief Minister and the Police Commissioner over the Constable Zach Rolfe murder charge continued Wednesday with the commissioner dismissing accusations of his involvement in the decision to charge as “a lie”.
