VICTORIAN government connections knew about what was supposed to be a secret inquiry into three former top police figures, says one of the trio facing criminal charges.

Former assistant commissioner Noel Ashby today said he would defend the charges and reveal the "truth" about the affair, including political corruption.

"There are other motives and people who had knowledge about this inquiry before it started on May 30 last year," he said.

"I've said in the past that if there is evidence that some people had knowledge of some form of inquiry before May 30 there must be some other motive.

"These are people connected with government or whatever."

Office of Police Integrity (OPI) inquiries are supposed to be secret and it is a criminal offence to disclose" details about them until they are made public.

Mr Ashby said he would start to mount a defence to the charges once he knew "the totality" of them.

"We'll be mounting a defence to them once we know the scope of all of them in totality," he said.
He faces up to 20 years behind bars after being charged yesterday with 29 criminal offences.

Mr Ashby is one of three men charged as a result of OPI investigations into various leaks, including those into a murder committed by a convicted underworld assassin.

Also charged is Victoria's former police union boss Senior Sergeant Paul Mullett and Stephen Linnell, the force's former media director.

Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said she did not have a personal vendetta against the three men.

"I understand some are saying it's a vendetta. Let me clearly make the point it's not a vendetta on my account or anyone else's," she said on Fairfax radio.

"Circumstances were investigated, out of the circumstances a hearing was conducted, out of those hearing evidence elicited and our deputy commissioner (Kieran Walshe) decided that there was sufficient evidence to lay charges. That's what happened.

"It's not personal, I'm not trying to get anybody, that's not my view and never has been."

Source: Herald Sun

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