WA: Lovell found in contempt of WA police royal commission

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WA: Lovell found in contempt of WA police royal commission

PERTH, Aug 5 AAP - An advocate of the Mickelberg brothers in the Perth mint swindlewas today found guilty of contempt of the West Australian police royal commission.

The WA Supreme Court found author and investigative reporter Avon Lovell had no validgrounds on which to question the commission's powers.

Lovell was charged with contempt of the commission after refusing on July 17 to besworn in as a witness and also challenging the right of the commission to summons him.

The charge also related to Mr Lovell's failure to appear at a commission hearing twodays earlier, which Mr Lovell had said he could not attend because he was at home havinga cup of tea.

The commission had wanted to question Mr Lovell about an affidavit by a former policeofficer, Tony Lewandowski, in which Mr Lewandowski admitted to having framed the Mickelbergbrothers over the Perth Mint swindle 20 years ago.

But Mr Lovell told Commissioner Kennedy that asking him to give evidence was outside his powers.

The Full Court of the Supreme Court today found Mr Lovell guilty of contempt of thecommission, saying he had no reasonable excuse not to appear on July 15, and that whenhe did attend two days later he refused to be sworn in and then left the commission.

The court was told it was the second time Mr Lovell had been found in contempt of a court.

On the first occasion - which involved writing a story about a union dispute afterhe obtained documents which were being used during a litigation - he was fined $40,000.

Outside the court, Mr Lovell said he had already taken steps to cooperate with theroyal commission, but he wanted some evidence heard in camera.

"My conduct has always been respectful to this court and to the royal commission andI never meant to step in the way of (the investigation) into corrupt police," he said.

AAP sd/jmd/bwle

KEYWORD: KENNEDY LOVELL