Forgive the wider gallop, but following on from my recent one and only Andrew Bolt post:
Federal police have raided the Pyrmont and Eveleigh offices of Channel Seven as part of a proceeds of crime investigation.
The network is reporting that it is to do with its dealings with Schapelle Corby.
After Corby was released from a Bali prison last week, Channel Seven reportedly paid up to $2 million for the exclusive first interview with the convicted drug smuggler.
An Australian Federal Police spokesman said: “The AFP can confirm it has executed a number of search warrants in Sydney in relation to an ongoing Proceeds of Crime Act matter. As this matter is ongoing it’s not appropriate for the AFP to comment further.”
For some reason, the Abbott Government has chimed in, says The Oz:
SEVEN’S commercial director Bruce McWilliam says a senior Abbott Government minister has called him to apologise for the raid at his network this morning.
He is furious more than 20 Australian Federal Police officers barged into the offices of Channel Seven at Pyrmont and New Idea to examine their paperwork and correspondence with the Corby family.
“The federal police have executed a search warrant of Channel 7. They barged in wanting to look at the payment registers which is completely outrageous,’’ he said.
“It’s a big attack on the press. It’s terrible what’s happening.
“It’s a gross overreaction. The government has called to say they did not know this was happening.”
Channel Seven was asked to hand over documents last week after being served a Proceeds of Crime production order, which Mr McWilliam says they fully co-operated with.
Why is the government involved at all? If there are grounds for the granting of a warrant then that’s the end of it; separation of powers and all of that democracy stuff. The gross overreaction is the apocryphal apology.
