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IN PHOTO: New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione arrives at a press conference related to a siege at a Sydney cafe, hours after the siege ended December 16, 2014. Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe on Tuesday and freed a number of hostages being held there at gunpoint, in a dramatic end to a 16-hour siege in which three people were killed and four wounded. REUTERS/Jason Reed

New South Wales Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas and Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione have been cleared of corruption charges following an investigation of nine months concerning affirmations of dishonorable behavior.

They were examined by the Police Integrity Commission, or PIC, since the end of last year, after officer Richard McDonald slammed criminal charges on them. Mr. McDonald, presently residing in Thailand, charged that Mr. Scipione castigated the State Ombudsman amid a joint organization meeting in March a year ago.

According to ABC news,the PIC also carried out investigation on whether Mr. Kaldas gave classified police data to Mr. McDonald and NSW cop Larry Cook, a former employee. Mr. Kaldas was additionally blamed for disclosing data about a meeting including Mr. Scipione and the Ombudsman. Three PIC examiners, travelled all the way to Thailand last October to conduct a meeting with Mr. McDonald, regardless of his offer to come to Australia.

In an announcement, the Commission acquitted both the officers on all counts. The commission failed to gather plausible evidences to bolster any of the claims. Critics of the PIC expressed that the commission ought not to be examining such minor matters. "I know both men very well and I don't doubt their integrity for a moment," NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said.

Recently, in a parliamentary council, Mr. Kaldas stated that its high time PIC and other bodies revise their roles with regard to their duties and power to investigate matters. Mr. McDonald accused Mr. Scipione of giving a delusive perception of officers’ criminal histories to the State Parliament and general public. However, the commission did not explore charges in regard to media explanations about officers associated with criminal activities, thereby neglecting Mr. McDonald's request.

Greens MP David Shoebridge supported McDonald’s accusations and expressed his frustration over trivialising the issue. ‘The delay and expense of this inquiry is yet more proof of the need for a complete overhaul of police oversight," said Shoebridge in a statement.

Contact the writer on priya.shayani@gmail.com

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