By Jodie Minus "The Australian"
July 06, 2011
WHEN former NSW crime fighter Mark Standen received a $47,500 gift from a drug-trafficking informant it was a "good surprise", but he didn't think it was an attempt to "corrupt" him.
Mr Standen, 54, yesterday faced his first day of cross-examination by Crown Prosecutor Tim Game SC as his trial for drug conspiracy charges moved into its 23rd week.
Mr Game questioned the former NSW Crime Commission boss about the Christmas cash "gift" he had received to undergo laser eye surgery from one of his informants, drug trafficker James Henry Kinch.
Mr Standen had expected about $5000 to $10,000, but Mr Kinch had deposited $47,500 into the bank account of their mutual friend, food importer Bill Jalalaty, in December 2005. Mr Standen did not declare the gift to the commission.
As soon as that happened, Mr Game told Mr Standen, you were "irrevocably compromised".
"You were at (Mr Kinch's) behest from that moment on."
Mr Standen replied: "No."
The NSW Supreme Court heard that Mr Standen received an email from Mr Kinch in December 2005 with information about the movements of an alleged drug trafficker. In the email, Mr Kinch asks for a reward from the commission for this information, but Mr Standen removed these references when he forwarded the email to investigators.
"Mr Kinch is asking for a financial reward at the same time as he is giving you a financial reward," Mr Game said. "You don't see the connection?"
Mr Standen replied: "There isn't a connection, so I can't see."
Mr Game asked why Mr Standen deleted the lines before forwarding the email on to investigators.
"They wouldn't normally know, it's none of their business," Mr Standen said.
Mr Game suggested that if the investigators had known they would have "very serious questions to ask about this entire relationship".
Mr Standen is accused of conspiring with Mr Jalalaty and Mr Kinch to bring $120 million worth of pseudoephedrine into Australia in 2008. His cross-examination will continue today.
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