Inquiry finds appointment of Fiji's former corruption commissioner "ethically reprehensible"
The report by a Commission of Inquiry is scathing of the process surrounding Barbara Malimali's appointment as head of the Independent Commission Against Corruption last year and the senior officials involved.
It describes it as legally invalid, ethically reprehensible , a damning failure of integrity and politically manipulated to install a compromised individual into a position of immense power.
Ms Malimali and the others adversely named including the Chief Justice, the Chief Registrar and former Attorney General have not been given a copy of the report.
The leak has complicated an already messy situation for the government as Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka had held off releasing the report while police and FICAC conducted their own investigations.
Ms Malimali who was dismissed from the position following the inquiry, says natural justice requires anyone named in the report to be given a copy to challenge it.
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News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Police search for alleged 1974 rapist George Karakis
An elderly woman has waited more than 50 years for justice after being raped in her Melbourne home, as police renew efforts to solve the 'brutal crime'. Victoria Police this week made a public appeal for information about their suspect, 78-year-old George Karakis, who was arrested over the incident but vanished after being granted bail. It is alleged the woman, then 30, was asleep in her Fitzroy home 'when she was awoken and raped and by a stranger' early on July 22, 1974. Mr Karakis, then 27, at the time lived on Gore St, Fitzroy with his wife, sister and brother-in-law. He was arrested nine days after the incident and charged with rape, burglary and indecent assault, before being released on bail on a $1000 surety put up by his wife. But he has now been missing since October 9, 1974, when he failed to appear at Fitzroy Magistrates Court. Now, more than 51 year later, Yarra Crime Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Ruby Roberts said police were still intent on bringing him before the courts. 'Our victim survivor is now in her 80s and been forced to live most of her adult life knowing this man has not faced court for the brutal crime he is accused of,' she said. 'This crime changed her life forever and 50 years is a long time to live without the justice we would so dearly like to give her. 'There will absolutely be people out there who know where Karakis fled and may even know where he is now residing.' Little publicity has been made over the mystery of Mr Karakis' whereabouts in the half century since he went missing. Images of Mr Karakis' 1974 mugshot and a computer-generated image of what he could look like today were released on Monday. He was described as being about 162cm tall with brown eyes and had a 2cm scar over his left eyebrow. Police in NSW believed they had located him in Sydney's eastern suburbs in 1990, but he again fled before an arrest warrant could be executed. Mr Karakis, who was born in Turkey in 1947, was previously named among Crime Stoppers' '20 Most Wanted' list as part of its Operation Roam appeal in 2014. Former Crime Stoppers chief executive Sam Hunter said at the time that fugitives crossed state boarders and assumed normal lives. 'They may be your mechanic, your neighbour, or catch the same train as you do each day,' she said. 'They have not just disappeared, the community holds to key to finding out where they are living.' The fresh appeal was shared by Red Heart campaign founder Sherele Moody who hoped the victim could find justice before she dies. 'For 51 years, she's lived in fear and without closure after a man broke into her home as she slept – and raped her,' she wrote. 'The woman he raped is now 81 years old.' Snr Const Roberts said: 'Given the length of time, there is also the possibility he has passed away – we just want to find answers so we can close this chapter in our victim's life'. 'Sometimes the smallest piece of information is all we need to get that breakthrough lead that could result in an arrest.'
SBS Australia
a day ago
- SBS Australia
McCarthy raises 'concerns' with NT about return of spit hoods and youth incarceration
The federal government has raised concerns about youth incarceration and the re-introduction of spit hoods in jail in a meeting with the Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro. Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy held talks with Finocchiaro on Wednesday. "Earlier this week I met with the Northern Territory chief minister, in those discussions I made very clear the concerns I have in regards to First Nations youths in watch houses and the reintroduction of spit hoods," McCarthy said in a statement. "As minister for Indigenous Australians, I will continue working with my ministerial colleagues to keep state and territories accountable for their commitments to close the gap on justice outcomes." Finocchiaro described the meeting as "productive". She said she outlined the Territory government's "clear focus on reducing crime, rebuilding the economy, and restoring our Territory lifestyle," she said. "Today's NT Police statistics confirm our approach is working — with 605 fewer victims of crime in just the past six months." 'As we enter our second year of government, our priorities are clear: get more kids to school, hold parents accountable, and create productive pathways for young people. Tackling these drivers is critical to reducing crime and building safer, stronger communities.' The Country Liberal Party-led NT Government has a parliamentary majority with 17 out of 25 seats and passed legislation to amend the Youth Justice Act earlier this month. The changes included bringing back spit hoods in youth detention centres, a practise banned by the former NT Labor government following a royal commission into juvenile justice and child protection in the NT. The amendments also included removing detention as the last resort for children and increasing the scope of reasonable force for Youth Justice Officers, along with increasing the number of offences that are not required to prioritise a youth diversion program instead of prison. Closing the Gap outcomes worst in NT The legislation fuelled concerns raised at the Garma Festival in North East Arnhem Land about the likelihood that it would lead to increasing numbers of children in the NT prison system, and would be at odds with the agreements between the NT and Federal Government to Closing the Gap . One of the Closing the Gap targets is to ensure 'young people are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system", specifically to cut the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people between the ages of 10 and 17 in detention by at least 30 per cent by 2031. The Australian Human Rights Commission has raised concerns the NT Government's legislation is discriminatory and a complaint on behalf of human rights lawyers and Indigenous leaders has been lodged with the United Nations. "Children's exposure to the justice system is a symptom of systemic racism and intergenerational trauma that compounds complex unmet needs and underlying issues such as poverty, homelessness, disability, health and mental health issues and domestic, family and sexual violence," the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss said when the legislation was being canvassed. McCarthy also addressed the meeting of federal, state and territory attorneys general on Friday in Sydney. "I highlighted the escalating numbers of First Nations people in prisons across the country, in particular our youth, and reiterated that deaths in custody have to stop," she said. "I called on state and territory Attorneys-General to do more to reduce the incarceration rates of First Nations adults and young people." "State and territory governments have a responsibility to make decisions that align with their commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap." She said the NT had the worst Closing the Gap outcomes. Finocchiaro said the tough crime measures that have been imposed by her government have reduced the number of victims of crime by 4.7 per cent in the last six months. Compared to the same period in 2024 she said the number of house break ins has been reduced by 375 and property offences are down by 503 cases. "Our plan to reduce crime is working, but my team and I know there is much more work to do, and we are getting on with the job." "We will continue to work with police, courts and corrections to deliver stronger laws and enforcement, better victim support, and faster justice." "Community safety will always come first under our CLP government," Finocchiaro said. She said the change since taking office was evidence that the former Labor NT government did not have the right policies in place, had placed offenders first and 'scarred' the community.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Family 'broken' by teen killer's sentence reduction
The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served.
