FED: PM brokers deal with states on new crime commission
SYDNEY, Aug 3 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard has brokered a w deal with the statesfor a new national law enforcement body, it was reported today.
The deal was done with the help of two controversial advisers to NSW's Carr Labor governmentwho helped win the support of other states, The Weekend Australian reported.
The newspaper said a secret meeting in Mr Howard's Sydney office on Wednesday sealedthe fate of the troubled National Crime Authority, which will cease to exist in December.
From then, the new Australian Crime Commission will take over its coercive hearingand telephone interception powers, the newspaper reported.
It said the new crime commission would broadly take the form proposed unanimously bythe states but rejected two weeks ago by the Federal government, with a charter to fightorganised crime and terrorism threats.
The deal was finalised yesterday, after Wednesday's meeting attended by three Howardadvisers and two representing NSW Police Minister Michael Costa - academic Richard Basham,and former detective Tim Priest - the newspaper said.
The new body would be headed by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty.
Its hearings will be conducted by an official appointed from senior criminal lawyers,with Queensland crime commissioner Tim Carmody considered a front-runner, the newspapersaid.
The newspaper said crucial to the new deal was the federal government's concessionthat the new commission have its own in-house investigative capacity, and not be justan intelligence assessment agency as originally proposed.
The states are expected to formally approve the new commission at a meeting of policeministers in Sydney on Friday.
AAP tnf/rs
KEYWORD: COMMISSION
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий