In September 2012, Alan Jones infamously claimed that Julia Gillard’s father “died of shame” over the “lies” she told every time she ran for parliament, particularly around claims Gillard had strong associations with union bag men.
One wonders if Alan Jones’ father would have turned in his grave in 2009, when Jones launched the book of disgraced former cop Roger Rogerson.
And one wonders what Mr Jones’ father would think today, now that Rogerson has been arrested over the murder of a young Sydney student, Jamie Gao.
Earlier this morning, police raided Rogerson’s south west Sydney home and arrested the 73-year-old disgraced, corrupt cop.
Media reports indicate Mr Gao, aged 22, was killed over a $3 million drug deal gone wrong. Rogerson’s associate, Glen McNamara, also a disgraced former cop, has already been charged with the murder, and police had been seeking Mr Rogerson overnight. It’s believed Mr Rogerson was in Queensland, but returned to Sydney in the early hours of the morning.
Alan Jones’ past lauding of Rogerson as a “grass roots man” and someone who “if we had a few more of them… we’d have few problems in society” could come back to haunt the Sydney radio host, with questions from New Matilda to Mr Jones’ office this morning drawing a hostile reaction.
In 2009, Jones launched Rogerson’s book, The Dark Side. At the time, Rogerson had already been jailed twice for dishonesty offences, and sacked from the police force over his associations with jailed murderer and rapist Arthur ‘Neddy’ Smith. Suspicions still hang over Rogerson around the slaying of Sydney drug dealer Warren Lafranchi.
Following the launch of Rogerson’s book, Mr Jones also used his high-rating radio program on 2GB to heap praise on Rogerson.
“I’m not one of those politically correct people and it mightn’t be politically correct to say it but if we had — you talk to people at the grass roots — if we had a few more of the man I’m about to speak then we’d have few, fewer problems in society confronting society at the moment,” Jones told listeners in October 2009.
“A bit of old style policing wouldn’t do any harm,” he added.
Ironically, it was a bit of ‘old style policing’ that landed Rogerson in custody. His lawyer, Paul Kenny, complained to media this morning that Mr Rogerson had been negotiating to turn himself in to police in Surry Hills later today when officers pounced.
Shortly before 11am, 10 officers arrived at his Padstow address and stormed the home, media reported.
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Mr Kenny as saying: “The police came to the door, started smashing on the door. Then a number of them came into Mr Rogerson's office room where we were having a legal conference making arrangements to go to the city."
"It was completely unnecessary, everything was being done in a professional manner with the arrangements with the police," the Herald reported.
"Everything was going along very smoothly and they've taken it up on themselves to burst into his home.
"It was very distressing … the way they spoke to Mr Rogerson was most unnecessary. He's been an experienced ex-policeman, he's an older gentleman as you know, he's 73 years old.”
No word yet on whether Rogerson has been charged by police. And no word yet from Radio 2GB about Mr Jones’ promotion of him.
New Matilda has sent Mr Jones a number of questions regarding his past promotion of, and association with, Rogerson. We’ll post 2GB’s response if and when it’s forthcoming.
UPDATE: Media reports indicate Roger Rogerson has this afternoon been charged with murder, and distribution of a commercial quantity of drugs.
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