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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

NT police commissioner fires back at Labor MP over arrest 'politicisation' claim

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole called claims that Labor MP Luke Gosling's arrest was politicized "offensive."
  • Gosling was arrested and charged with assaulting NT Administrator David Connolly following incidents at a festival on July 18.
  • Dole refuted allegations that police did not attempt to contact Gosling before his arrest, stating multiple attempts were made.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole has strongly refuted claims that the arrest of Labor MP Luke Gosling was politically motivated, labeling the assertion as "offensive." Gosling, the federal Labor member for Solomon and special envoy for defense, veterans' affairs, and northern Australia, was arrested and charged last Thursday with assaulting NT Administrator David Connolly.

Quite frankly I'm sick of the attacking of the integrity of members of our police force.

— Martin DoleNT Police Commissioner Martin Dole expressed his frustration with claims questioning the integrity of his officers.

The charges stem from two alleged incidents at the NT Thailand Grand Festival on July 18, occurring 30 minutes apart. One incident reportedly involved Gosling elbowing Connolly, who serves as the Crown's representative in the NT, equivalent to a state governor. Gosling has denied the charges, with his lawyer, Marty Aust SC, telling Darwin Local Court that there is no CCTV footage or independent witnesses to corroborate the allegations.

Following Gosling's arrest, his lawyer had expressed "real concern there's a degree of politicisation in relation to how this matter is being handled." However, Commissioner Dole countered this on Darwin radio station Mix 104.9, stating, "I'm sick of the attacking of the integrity of members of our police force." He suggested that "certain members of the media and the defence" were politicizing the matter as a strategy.

The only people that are politicising this are certain members of the media and the defence who decided to use this as a strategy.

— Martin DoleCommissioner Dole accused parts of the media and the defense team of politicizing the arrest of MP Luke Gosling.

NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro also denied any involvement from her office in Gosling's arrest, dismissing "conspiracy theories" about politicization as "completely untrue." Meanwhile, Gosling stated he was first contacted by police via a phone message the previous Wednesday afternoon while working in Queensland, and that his office had been "working to establish a meeting" with police. Commissioner Dole reaffirmed the NT Police Force's position, asserting that officers had made "multiple attempts via phone and/or email to contact Mr Gosling in the days before his arrest."

conspiracy theories about politicisation were completely untrue

— Lia FinocchiaroNT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro dismissed claims of political interference in Gosling's arrest.

The NT Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed the matter had been referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, as the NT DPP determined it should not handle the case.

I refute the allegation that we didn't make attempts to contact him until the day before.

— Martin DoleCommissioner Dole reaffirmed that police made multiple attempts to contact Gosling before his arrest.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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