Was George Pell the distraction Vic Police Commissioner Graham Ashton needed given his failure in the case of Zulfikar Shariff- Meanwhile still no explanation from Grahan Ashton and Lisa Neville about the phone call to Pell while in prison

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

Graham Ashton was Commissioner Of Police, Victoria, between 2015-2020. He came to the Victoria Police Force in 2009 ,from the Australian Federal Police, where he had made a name for himself as an expert on terrorism, given his work in Indonesia after the Bali bombing.  Between 2003 and 2004 Ashton was appointed to the role of National Manager, Counter Terrorism, with responsibilities for managing global AFP resources in the field of Counter Terrorism investigations.

However, despite his record, it was under Ashton's watch that the well known Al-Qaeda supporter Zulfikar Shariff began his campaign in support of ISIS in Melbourne. Zulfikar had fled Singapore for Melbourne in 2002 where he continued with his pro Al-Qaeda activities. Zulfikar, a citizen of Singapore, became an Australian citizen sometime between 2002 and 2013.

His  campaign in support of ISIS included Facebook posts such as this:

December 22, 2013 via mobile

Walking along Craigieburn Rd and saw little green birds flying.
Wonder if I will ever be in the little green birds flying freely in Paradise.
And my Rabb asks me if I need anything.
Insha Allah. Amin




Then there were postings of this type:
Zulfikar Shariff

December 14, 2013 via mobile
Looking at the snow and ice covering the Middle East, I am reminded of this hadith:
On the authority of Thawbaan (May Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah said:

"If you see the Black Banners coming from Khurasan go to them immediately, even if you must crawl over ice, because indeed amongst them is the Caliph, Al Mahdi."


Zulfikar Shariff
January 12 via mobile

Yes Ariel Sharon is dead. But Israel and its murderous, brutal leaders is still there. So what are we doing about it?

In mid 2016 the Government Of Singapore detained  Zulfikar Shariff pursuant to the provisions of its Internal Security Act, for his actions in support of ISIS in Melbourne and Singapore.  It is safe to say that but for action taken by the Government Of Singapore, Zulfikar may have endangered lives in Melbourne in furtherance  of his jihadi  activities.

Inaction in the case of Zulfikar Shariff would have reflected badly on Graham Ashton while he was chief of police.  However his pursuit of George Pell commenced in February 2016 had made him into something of a state and national hero. The High Court's 7-0 acquittal in 2020 demonstrated the many flaws in that investigation and prosecution which was brought by Ashton , but by then Ashton had retired. It does seem now, looking back, that Pell was the distraction that Ashton needed to draw attention away from his failure to keep the state safe from the real danger of terrorism. 

The case of Zulfiakr Shariff adds to the reasons Ashton would have wanted to ensure that Pell never appealed his conviction. He has yet to provide an action for that mysterious phone call. 

To Be Read With 

March 19, 2023

George Pell 's prison telephone interview suggests highest levels of Vic Police feared a High Court appeal well before Vic Sup Crt CJ Anne Ferguson even heard Pell's appeal -Entry in Pell's prison journal raises questions that former Vic Police chief Graham Ashton and Police Minister Lisa Neville must answer

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

                                                              

                              Graham Ashton, Lisa Neville

George Cardinal Pell-Prison Journal Volume 1 , The Cardinal Makes His Appeal  includes this entry for 4 April 2019: 

I then had a strange interview over the phone with a female member of the Placement Assessments Unit who asked two questions of me.

This was organized by a quiet courteous man who remained with me after calling up my questioner.

" Did I know the choirboys who had been molested in the cathedral?"

" Did I intend to lodge an appeal?", I was then asked, as they had no record of this. This was surprising as the appeal was lodged before my sentencing and I already have the date for the  appeal hearing on June 5-6.

The appeal was heard on June 5 and 6 2019, and a three judge panel led by Chief Justice Anne Ferguson handed down their decision rejecting the appeal on 21 August 2019. 

The Placement Assessments Unit is part of Corrections Victoria  It is  managed by the Sentence Management Branch of Corrections Victoria.  Its duty is to manage prisoner reception and management, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the judicial system. The Minister in charge at the relevant time was Lisa Neville, Minister for Police.

The question " did I know the choirboys who had been molested in the cathedral" should not concern Corrections Victoria but would have concerned Victoria Police prosecutors who brought the case against Pell contrary to advice from the DPP Victoria. The Chief Of Police who oversaw the Pell investigation, and who was in office when the above incident occurred was Graham Leonard Ashton.

 The officer who questioned Pell  about his knowledge of the choirboys  is not likely to have formulated and initiated that question on her own. These are the questions that a lawyer or interrogator might ask to entrap a suspect, but in this case the suspect had already been convicted.

Ashton and Neville have both retired, but they must now provide answers to what appears to be a clumsy attempt at entrapment, after Pell had been convicted, and which could have only been initiated at the highest levels of Victoria Police. 

The second question seems contrived for the matter of Pell's appeal to the Supreme Court NSW was well publicised. 

It does therefore  seem likely  that Pell's interrogator's questions were intended to  frustrate any appeal by some form of threat with what could have been put forth as fresh evidence. Graham Ashton remained defiant to the end that he had no issue with how police had handled the case before charging Pell. There would therefore have been no reason to be concerned about Pell's Victorian Supreme Court appeal. It does seem however that Victoria Police were concerned about the prospect of a High COurt appeal, even before the Supreme Court appeal had been heard.

END