The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) has joined the call for state governments to pass legislation allowing police to share information with racing authorities.
In a ground-breaking move, the ACC and Victoria’s Racing Integrity Commission signed an agreement in Melbourne on Wednesday allowing collaboration between the two bodies.
State governments have steadfastly refused to legislate to allow information held by police to be shared with racing stewards, who say they are being prevented from acting against corruption in the sport.
Acting ACC chief executive Paul Jevtovic said the Victorian partnership should be repeated in other states.
“The signing of this agreement reinforces the need for the commission and regulatory agencies within the states and territories to work together on those areas where serious and organised crime has the potential to intersect with the Australian public,” he said.
The issue came to prominence in 2012, with claims by police that corruption was rife in Victoria’s racing industry.
A subsequent investigation found specific claims made in the Fairfax press and on the ABC’s Four Corners program were unsubstantiated.
But the allegations prompted calls from racing authorities and Victoria’s Racing Integrity Commissioner, Sal Perna, for police to be permitted to share information.
The ACC’s agreement with Victoria’s racing integrity commission is the first of its kind in Australia, but is expected to be followed by similar arrangements with other state racing bodies.
Mr Jevtovic said the partnership represented the first step in a united approach against corruption in racing.
“This pioneering agreement enables us to work co-operatively on matters of mutual interest, including the disruption and prevention of organised crime in the racing industry,” he said.
Mr Perna said the agreement would help enhance public confidence in Victorian racing and formalised an excellent working relationship between the commissions.
“The MOU with the Crime Commission is a significant step in sharing information between racing and law enforcement,” he said.
The ACC is developing similar agreements with Tasmanian and West Australian racing authorities.
