On September 17, 2003 the Age reported that, in a committal hearing, a court was told police allegedly took 13.5 kilograms of marijuana valued at $100,000 from a man during a drug raid by corrupt detectives.

Daniel May, a witness, told the Melbourne Magistrates Court that he had arranged to deliver the cannabis - which another man had brought from South Australia - to an associate at the St Kilda Marina on May 10, 1999.

Mr May said that during the drug deal, two cars pulled up unexpectedly and some plain-clothes police got out.

He said one grabbed him, handcuffed him and threw him face down to the ground.

He said that in the split second before he fell, he saw one of the men getting plastic bags full of marijuana from the back of his truck before throwing them to another.

The police then let him go.

Another man, Mario Katsoulas, 41, of Malvern, was charged with conspiring to traffic cannabis.

Mr May told the court: "Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone climb onto the back of the truck... I heard the toolbox open and someone pulled out the two garbage bags."

Mr May said that when the police finally lifted him off the ground, they told him they knew he was just a delivery boy and that he would not have to take "the rap".

He said that before letting him go, they told him to "pull your head in, don't let us see you with this shit again".

The court was told that at the time, nobody was charged over the matter.

Detective Inspector Robert Hodgkins, who was Sergeant Saunders' supervisor, described Saunders as extremely competent and capable.

"He was a person who got the job done and worried about the follow-up later," Inspector Hodgkins said.

"He was very effective."

Inspector Hodgkins told the court that Saunders gave him an information report in May 1999, saying he had intercepted Mr May at the St Kilda Marina looking for a gun in his truck, but could not find any firearms inside.

The officers all denied the charges.

They maintained that while they'd been present at the marina, they were there to search for guns and had never encountered any drugs.

On December 9, 2003, Melbourne Magistrates' Court was told suspended Det-Sgt Glenn Saunders had used an alleged underworld gunman to intimidate the policeman investigating him and had accepted a bribe to help free an accused drug trafficker.

Det-Sgt Saunders was charged on the morning of December 9 with attempting to corruptly receive money and conspiring and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Det-Sgt Simon Illingworth told the court Det-Sgt Saunders had accepted an unknown bribe and organised to accept $6000 more in a string of secret meetings.

The court heard accused amphetamines trafficker Robin Vincent Holt was arrested on November 13, 2001 and his girlfriend, Danielle Sinclair, and associate, Brian Hyland, were told to get him bail.

Det-Sgt Illingworth said Ms Sinclair contacted Det-Sgt Saunders on his tapped mobile phone two days after Mr Holt's arrest and had a coded conversation.

"This call meant . . . there was plenty of money available if Holt's court case could be assisted by Det-Sgt Saunders,'' he said.

Over the next three months Ms Sinclair and Det-Sgt Saunders had 43 phone conversations, met 11 times and he was seen by surveillance units leaving her house, the court heard.

During a midnight meeting in Fawkner Park, Det-Sgt Saunders allegedly accepted an unknown bribe.

The court heard Det-Sgt Saunders was promised a further $6000 by Ms Sinclair and Mr Hyland upon Mr Holt's release on bail.

The court heard Ms Sinclair had made a statement against Det-Sgt Saunders outlining their alleged dealings and was prepared to give evidence against him.

In her statement, she claimed to have paid Det-Sgt Saunders protection money so she could carry out her criminal activities with minimal interference.

Det-Sgt Illingworth said that during the investigation he was in a city pub with a friend when Det-Sgt Saunders walked through with alleged underworld gunman Nicholas Ibrahim.

"Ibrahim is known to me as an underworld identity . . . he was glaring at me, intimidating me,'' he said. "It achieved its purpose.''

Prosecutor Jeremy Rapke told the court the blatant nature of the intimidation led to concerns that Det-Sgt Saunders would put pressure on Ms Sinclair, who was a vulnerable witness.

Defence lawyer Tony Hargreaves argued there was no direct evidence his client had accepted or agreed to accept a bribe.

He said the case relied on a statement from Ms Sinclair, a career criminal, who could gain a discount on her own sentence for giving evidence.

Magistrate Barbara Cotterell granted Det-Sgt Saunders bail on strict conditions to appear in court again in March.

In 2004 the case against the officers had a major setback.

A key witness in the case, who pleaded guilty to his role in the alleged conspiracy to traffic marijuana, refused to testify, saying he feared for the safety of his wife and family.

As the four accused left court this morning, one of them, David Waters, spoke to the waiting press, saying, "I am relieved that this matter is finally over for myself and my family, what we have had to endure, what we've been put through. I am grateful for the judicial system that we are in at the moment. The jury has found us not guilty. I can't thank them enough and thank the people that have assisted us.

Later that day, ABC Radio's PM program revealed details about an investigation into a threat allegedly made against a number of jurors case.

PM reported that police were investigating a complaint made by three jurors that they were approached outside court by a man who made a threatening comment.

Nick McKenzie reported that the members claimed that, mid-trial, they were approached outside court during their lunch break.

It's believed the jurors had stated that a man who'd been present in court on at least two occasions walked up to them and made a threatening remark.

The jury members told court officials about the approach, who then relayed the details to police and the Office of Public Prosecutions.

It was believed the man who made the approach was employed in the building industry, and had since been interviewed by police and denied that he made a threat or was linked to any of the four accused.

It was one of a number of threats against people linked to the case which had come to the attention of the court.

As well as the key witness refusing to testify the prosecution also raised concerns that another witness had been intimidated by a man in court.

That man is Mick Crehen (phonetic), a Victorian criminal, and a person the court heard is also close associate of one of the defendants, former police officer David Waters.

The Police Association's Bruce McKenzie said they should now allow the three serving detectives to return to work, and that the association would fight any moves to have them sacked.