Breaking News
Ex-cop denies 'rip-off'
Rebecca Woolley
9 May 2008
FORMER Cromer police officer Mark Smith has denied trying to "rip off" a police colleague of $3000 or helping him to get a false passport.
The 31-year-old, who was sacked from the force by former Police Commissioner Ken Moroney in March last year, is on trial in the District Court.
He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of giving false or misleading information to the Police Integrity Commission while in the witness box in May and August 2003.
It is alleged he lied to the PIC about receiving money for a false passport, receiving a police identification badge and being involved in tyalks about a $10,000 drug debt.
Yesterday the court heard a series of taped conversations between Mr Smith and a former police officer, known by the code name "Salmon", who was fitted with a listening device at the time.
During the conversations references were made to "a book" that Mr Smith said was a false passport, and a sum of $3000.
Evidence from a cross-examination during the hearing five years ago was played.
Mr Smith denied several times being given the cash or trying to get Salmon a forged passport from a contact in Cessnock, despite taped conversations suggesting the contrary.
He told the hearing's barrister Chris O'Donnell he was only "going along" with Salmon.
While Mr Smith admitted he had lied to Salmon, he denied taking money from him, trying to rip him off or telling lies to the commission.
The case continues.
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