Kerry Milte

In the 1960's Milte entered the then Commonwealth Police Force, and within years was head of their intelligence branch, investigating organised crime and terrorism, and holding the highest level of security clearance.

He was security advisor to Senator Lionel Murphy when he was Federal Attorney-General.

Milte had regular dealings with ASIO and played a key role in planning the famous "Murphy raid" on ASIO headquarters in Melbourne.

By 1997, Milte had become a barrister and once represented underworld figure Mick Gatto.

He was also a senior lecturer in criminology at Melbourne University, and then moved into private consulting.

The Melbourne Magistrate's Court later heard it was then that the man who in fact established Australia's first criminal intelligence database came undone.

Milte was recruited by Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon in 2002 to help tackle organised crime in Victoria.

He later told Victoria Police's Ethical Standards Department why he was recruited by Ms Nixon.

"Because of some old connections, I had the means of getting information on particularly Italian organised crime".

"And to a lesser degree, Chinese operations and to another degree, some Lebanese people and that principally involved Mick Gatto, Mario Condello, Mokbel (fugitive crime boss Tony Mokbel).''

Milte was later committed to stand trial on charges including bribery and conspiring with a Victorian police officer to disclose confidential information.

On August 19, 2005, Milte undertook a five-hour taped interview with ESD detectives.

In the interview Mr Milte also named allegedly corrupt police and identified several organised crime figures.

Milte told ESD members that Mick Gatto threatened to kill union boss Dean Mighell in a building industry dispute.

Mr Mighell later confirmed having a dispute with Mr Gatto, but denied being intimidated in any way.

"Mick Gatto never threatened to kill me,'' he said.

In his interview, Mr Milte:

NAMED an Italian organised crime boss who was allegedly involved in five murders.

CLAIMED murdered mafia financier Mario Condello and another underworld figure stripped a solicitor naked and beat him in a Lygon St restaurant basement as a warning not to speak about their activities.

IDENTIFIED a Lygon St crime figure who had allegedly paid $4 million in bribes to senior Victorian police.

CLAIMED corrupt police "green-lighted'' the illegal activities of several Italian organised crime bosses.

ALLEGED the Italian syndicate has put gang members in positions of authority in immigration, customs and the police. 

Mr Milte claimed in the interview that Mr Gatto had threatened to kill Electrical Trades Union boss Dean Mighell.

"He came to see me via a politician,'' his record of interview claimed. "I offered, in regard to the obvious state of fear he was in, to make contact between him and the police.''

Mr Mighell denied Mr Milte's claim.

He said a dispute with Mr Gatto over building work at the National Gallery had been sorted out amicably.

Mr Milte told the Herald Sun he was horrified his ESD record of interview was being circulated.

He claimed a small faction of Victorian police was trying to undermine Ms Nixon and suggested circulating his ESD interview was an attempt by these officers to discredit her.

Mr Milte would not identify Mr Mighell as the person allegedly subjected to death threats, but said: "The union official was in genuine fear of his life.''

Mr Milte told ESD about an alleged attack by Condello and another man on a solicitor for an Italian organised crime boss.

"They stripped the solicitor naked . . . held a pistol to his head, broke a plate on his head and wanted to know how much he'd told me about what was going on,'' he said.

On October 7, 2005, Milte admitted to corruption offences in Melbourne Magistrate's Court.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of illegally obtaining confidential information from a Federal agent, but Milte told ABC Radio's PM program that he had his own explosive tale to tell about why and how he was investigated.

In an affidavit obtained by PM, a former NSW Police assistant commissioner, vouched for Kerry Milte's character and said he warned Milte he could face serious harm if he continued with a mission to expose crime and corrupt behaviour.

Milte pleaded guilty to asking a Federal agent on three separate occasions in 2003 to access information from confidential databases, including the Department of Immigration's and the Victorian Police LEAP database.

The court heard that Kerry Milte received the travel records and whereabouts of three people that he passed on to a law firm.

Milte denied he ever paid the officer for the leaks and told PM he was targeted for investigation after he became involved with Victoria Police and its investigations into serious organised crime.

In an affidavit tendered to the court, former New South Wales Police assistant commissioner Paul McKinnon said in 2002 he met with Kerry Milte and Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon.

In the affidavit, Paul McKinnon said the topic was organised crime and the results were fruitful.

Mr McKinnon, who was the head of security at the Sydney 2000 Olympics said he later became concerned for Kerry Milte's safety after he'd been linked by the media to underworld figures.

He also said: "I am aware Kerry Milte experiences considerable frustration with what he deems to be ineffective investigative responses to serious, organised crime. He has always possessed a dedication to do the right thing. 
I have cautioned him in the past that he could face serious, personal harm if he continued with his mission to expose illicit crime networks and corrupt official behaviour."

PM reporter Josie Taylor said that Christine Nixon had since distanced herself from Kerry Milte, saying it was he who approached Victoria Police, claiming to have information relating to Italian organised crime in Melbourne.

A spokesman for Christine Nixon said the Chief Commissioner did meet with Mr Milte, but he was never a paid informer of Victoria Police, nor a consultant.

A magistrate convicted and fined Kerry Milte, but, according to Josie Taylor, it's unlikely to be the last heard of him. He says he still has plenty to say about Victoria and its police force.