By Jim O’Toole, Townsville Bureau
Channel 9 News surely is privileged when it comes to the NSW Labor Government’s Department of Communities and Justice and Australian Federal Police.
The television station’s owners certainly seem to have firm control of the state government and the AFP. This week one of its reporters was able to source numerous documents relating to war hero Ben Roberts Smith and his brief stay in Sydney’s Silver Water jail while awaiting a bail hearing after being charged by the AFP for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan 15 years ago.
Roberts Smith has vigorously denied any wrongdoing and has been supported by other SASR members who served in Afghanistan.
Nine’s owners, billionaire Bruce Gordon, Perpetual Investment Management Ltd and Macquarie Bank must have good mates in the government as well as the AFP.
When Roberts Smith was very publicly arrested by the AFP at Sydney airport in April, Channel Nine and its self-confessed, dodgy reporter Nick McKenzie just happened to have a camera crew ready and waiting for Roberts Smith to be escorted by officers from an aircraft in full view of his two young daughters and partner.
No other news media got a look in. As we have previously reported McKenzie got a tip-off from his mates in the AFP. Commissioner Krissy Barrett said she knew nothing about the tip-off and has since launched an internal investigation to find the culprits.
Jail documents detailing the Ben Roberts Smith visit and his mug shot were given to the Nine reporter no problems after a nod and a wink behind the door.
After all if Nine was able to bribe and pay witnesses more than $700,000 during the Ben Roberts Smith defamation trial against Channel Nine in the Federal Court and get away with it, a few bob or cartons of Tooheys New for the jail staff would be no problem for a Nine staffer.
Roberts Smith was granted a bail variation earlier this week to enable him to attend a War Memorial Event in Canberra.
It seems Silver Water jail is chockers with Muslim banditos so management was careful to keep Roberts Smith and the Arabs segregated while spending nine days behind bars.
So far the Office of Special Investigator into war crimes has no worthwhile evidence against Roberts Smith.
Investigators have a few paid-off Afghans and four indemnified former soldiers who have agreed to testify against the former SAS corporal but no solid evidence of wrongdoing.
We have another Nine News segment portraying the hero in poor light, in an attempt to sway any potential jury members at a trial perhaps three or four years into the future by publishing jail documents.
This video from Nine reveals the special treatment the errant television station gets from government.
