The "House of Cards" Smith's Beach Inquiry now becomes Alice in Wonderland trials.
Unbelievably, Mike "Children Overboard" Silverstone and his minions at the Corruption and Crime Commission have taken over two years to lay new charges of giving false evidence against Julian Grill, Brian Burke, Norm Marlborough and two public servants. The charges relate to giving false evidence at public hearings in 2006, into the Smith Beach Development.
Is this undue delay, just plain incompetence on Siverstone's part or is the CCC deliberately delaying the process to bankrupt both Burke and Grill, damage their reputations and stave-off any embarrassing acquittals?
Incompetent outfits like the CCC should be made to bring charges within a reasonable time - perhaps 6 months, unless new evidence emerges.
Effectively, these people have already served more than a two year sentence and the charges have not yet gone to trial, let alone a verdict.
Like Alice's experience, is it all just a bad dream? Can such unreasonable delays be real?
"Sentence first-verdict afterwards" said the Queen.
These Western Australian citizens have lost their jobs, their livelihoods, their businesses and many of their friends in the ALP and those who are employed in government; as they are damned if they associate with them while under investigation and suspicion.
Friends won't speak freely to them because they know Mike Silverstone and his cabal may have a record of everything that is said, and photographs of them.
They may, in the future, hear selective parts of a conversation salaciously played out-of-context in some court. Some, possibly all, have had to live with the intrusion of phone bugs, secret cameras, listening devices and eyes prying over personal emails, mail and faxes - for over three years now.
Not to mention legal costs of $250 000 to $350 000 for some of them and thousands of hours of work going over details, court transcripts, records (that haven't been seized) to respond to the various charges relating to the very same matter - charges that never seem to end.
Like the current abuse of process by the CCC, justice was not exactly done in this Wonderland trial:
Alice's EvidenceTruth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
`Let the jury consider their verdict,’ the King said, for about the twentieth time that day.
`No, no!’ said the Queen. `Sentence first–verdict afterwards.’
`Stuff and nonsense!’ said Alice loudly. `The idea of having the sentence first!’
`Hold your tongue!’ said the Queen, turning purple.
`I won’t!’ said Alice.
`Off with her head!’ the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.
`Who cares for you?’ said Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time.) `You’re nothing but a pack of cards!’
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her: she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face.
`Wake up, Alice dear!’ said her sister; `Why, what a long sleep you’ve had!’
`Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream!’ said Alice, she told her sister.
No comments:
Post a Comment