Zilos

FOUR Victorian detectives have been acquitted on charges of stealing $100,000 worth of cannabis from a drug dealer and conspiring to sell the haul.

The Police Association responded to the verdicts by calling for three of the suspended members to be reinstated immediately.

Detective Sergeant Glenn Saunders, 44, Detective Sergeant David John Waters, 44, Detective Senior Constable Peter John Alexander, 37, and Detective Senior Constable Stephen Russell Campbell, 35, each pleaded not guilty to theft and conspiracy to traffic cannabis.

Det-Sgt Waters had since left the force and the other three officers were suspended.

The jury, which took one and a half days to reach its verdict, found the four men not guilty of the charges at the Victorian County Court today.

Det-Sgt Saunders and Det-Sen Constable Campbell cried after the jury delivered its verdict, and the four men embraced each other and hugged their families in the court.

Police Association assistant secretary Bruce McKenzie said the suspended members should be reinstated immediately, and the association would fight any moves to sack the men from the force.

"Of course a disciplined organisation like the Victoria Police force has to have available to it the ability to discipline people, but these members have been acquitted by a process that's stood the test of time," Inspector McKenzie said.

"They should be allowed to come back to work right now.

During the three-week trial before Judge Jim Duggan, the prosecution alleged Det-Sgt Saunders was tipped off by a police informer that he was meeting a drug dealer to buy $100,000 worth of cannabis at the car park of St Kilda Marina on May 10, 1999.

Det-Sgt Saunders and the other three officers, who all worked at the St Kilda Rd police centre, were alleged to have gone to the marina that night, intercepted the drug exchange, removed the cannabis from a truck, and given the drugs to the informer to sell.

Lawyers for the officers denied the allegation and told the court their clients performed a lawful police operation and found no cannabis.

The court was told the prosecution case relied heavily on the evidence of a "manipulative and deceitful criminal".

When Det-Sgt Saunders entered the witness box, he rejected the prosecution allegations and told the court that his informer had arranged to meet the dealer at the car park to buy a $3000 handgun.

He told the court he attended with the other officers, but no guns were seized in the police operation.

Three of the officers declined to speak to the media.

However, Det-Sgt Waters said he was relieved after the jury's verdict.

"For myself and my family, for what we had to endure, what we have been through, I am grateful for the judicial system at the moment," he said.

"The jury has found us not guilty. I can't thank them enough and I thank the people that have assisted us."

Insp McKenzie said the association had not funded the detectives' legal campaign, but would be willing to represent them in any future disciplinary proceedings.

Police spokeswoman Senior Constable Rebecca Duncan said Victoria Police had not decided whether to take disciplinary action.

"Victoria Police is aware of the result of today's court decision," she said.

"It's too early to assess whether any of the serving (suspended) members involved in the case will face disciplinary action."

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