NSW: Ryan issue "misleading" - Tink

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NSW: Ryan issue "misleading" - Tink

By Krystyna Pollard

SYDNEY, April 12 AAP - NSW Police Minister Michael Costa was either misleading parliamentor planning to mislead the governor over the departure of Police Commissioner Peter Ryan,the state opposition said today.

The opposition will ask the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) to investigate whetherMr Ryan is entitled to his $455,435 handshake.

The move comes after the Liberals yesterday said that advice from a barrister confirmedtheir view Mr Ryan had been sacked.

If Mr Ryan had wanted out of the contract, he would not have been entitled to the payout,the opposition said yesterday.

Opposition police spokesman Andrew Tink today told parliament the situation was a "damnmess", and Mr Costa was either misleading parliament or would mislead NSW Governor MarieBashir over the issue.

"The bottom line constitutional problem ... is, is the minister misleading the parliamentor is the minister proposing to mislead the governor?" Mr Tink said.

"If it is a resignation as the minister told parliament it was, then he's clearly proposingto mislead the governor.

"If in fact it is a termination, as the minister is proposing to put to the governor,then plainly he's misled the parliament.

"Either way it's a damn mess at best and the Police Integrity Commission needs to havea very close and thorough look at it in my respectful view."

The PIC must get involved in the issue, he said.

"Given that so many questions remain about the current arrangements, I think the PoliceIntegrity Commission must get involved in this matter, follow up, use its jurisdictionto investigate and report to the parliament," he said.

"There are certainly a number of questions, and counsel's raised the question of whetherthere's been a sham or whether there's been an improper purpose by the minister."

Mr Tink wrote to the PIC about Mr Ryan's departure this morning.

The issue of whether Mr Ryan jumped or was pushed has dominated both houses of stateparliament over the past 24 hours.

AAP kp/nf/ph/de

KEYWORD: RYAN TINK