Mark Standen and girlfriend on Dubai junket, court hears

Kara Lawrence From: The Daily Telegraph June 04, 2011 12:00AM

Unauthorised trip ... Mark Standen / Pic: Frank Violi Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE boss of the NSW Crime Commission Phillip Bradley disciplined his top investigator after he and his girlfriend took an unsanctioned trip to Dubai, paid for by a businessman.

Yesterday Mr Bradley began his evidence at Mark Standen's Supreme Court trial, where the former top cop is accused of conspiring with his businessman friend Bill Jalalaty and an informant, James Henry Kinch, to import a commercial quantity of pseudoephadrine.Standen has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Mr Bradley said he became aware that Standen and his girlfriend Louise Baker had taken the unauthorised trip and that it had been paid for by Mr Jalalaty.

The couple's relationship was "causing disharmony", Mr Bradley said, and he decided "an appropriate course would be to separate Mr Standen and Ms Baker in the employment environment".

However, he said Standen did not tell him he had also met up with Kinch in the United Arab Emirates, which might have resulted in "disciplinary" action had he known.

Once in about 2000 Mr Bradley said he resorted to deferring Standen's pay rise "until he reached a satisfactory level of performance".

Mr Bradley's evidence will continue on Monday.