Whistleblower's death was murder, court told
Gary Lee-Rogers was onto something in the months before his mysterious death.
The Australian Protective Service assistant inspector blew the whistle on what he said was corruption that compromised security at Sydney Airport before the 2000 Olympics.
He met the federal MP for Eden-Monaro, Gary Nairn, who contacted the then-Attorney-General, Daryl Williams. But Mr Lee-Rogers was found dead in his Queanbeyan apartment before Mr Williams could reply.
A protective service internal asset audit, disclosed yesterday in the NSW Coroner's Court in Queanbeyan, found that 47 revolvers, two rifles, six shotguns, 30 sets of handcuffs and 18 batons had disappeared from the service's custody. Firearms training systems, video cameras, X-ray equipment and 25 computers were also missing.
Other documents tendered to the court said dozens of security officers were trained by unqualified staff and that failures in asset management extended to firearms' security at Sydney Airport.
Police found Mr Lee-Rogers's body on October 1 last year in his Queanbeyan flat with a blood-stained knife, bloodied pillow and two white plastic bottles in his right hand.
Initially they secured the flat as a crime scene. But the death was later treated as natural.
In court yesterday Deborah Locke, of Whistleblowers Australia, said officers from the protective service, NSW police and Australian Federal Police were involved in intimidating Mr Lee-Rogers and obstructed investigations into his death.
Mr Lee-Rogers was murdered to stop him giving evidence against his colleagues in subsequent court proceedings, she said.
She listed several suspects whose names were suppressed by order of the coroner.
But under questioning, Ms Locke conceded there was no clear evidence that individual officers were behind his death.
Mr Lee-Rogers had told friends, relatives, and members of Whistleblowers Australia that if he disappeared it would not be suicide.
The hearing continues today.
