THE WA government has vowed to pursue the dumped and disgraced state trade commissioner to Japan after police declined to lay charges despite allegations he rorted the taxpayer out of more than $500,000.
A Corruption and Crime Commission report released in March revealed Craig Peacock had for many years used his position “to enrich himself”, including “double dipping” his allowance and dining with mates at the taxpayers’ expense.
WA Police investigated the matter but confirmed on Monday that no further action would be taken “due to the location of this incident … as there is no element of the offence having occurred in WA”.
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READ NOWWA Attorney General John Quigley said he was very surprised because police had not sought advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions and the State Solicitor.
“The money went from this jurisdiction to his trouser pocket and I’m concerned that there’s no prosecution,” Mr Quigley told reporters on Monday.
He said he would ask the DPP about the prospects of conviction.
“I will use all effort to pursue Mr Peacock, who has made a mug of us all.
“If this person evades prosecution, I think the public will be left in a state of wonderment.
“Not good enough.”
The CCC handed down a finding of serious misconduct against Mr Peacock, revealing he also covered up a drunken crash in a work car that landed him in prison for two days and organised a controversial bathhouse trip for two Liberal politicians.
The day after the report was released, WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told the ABC the criminal code had provisions for offences committed overseas “but it’s not an often used area of the law”.
Peacock was fired from the position, which he had held since 2002, in February.
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