NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb hits back as gin scandal rocks state parliament

New South Wales Police Chief Karen Webb has strongly denied that she bought more than 100 bottles of gin with taxpayers’ money and drank some of the spirits herself, calling the claims “completely untrue”.

Independent House of Representatives MP Rod Roberts accused the state’s top police officer on Wednesday afternoon of buying dozens of bottles of gin with government money and drinking some of it herself and her staff.

“I have very good informants within the New South Wales Police and members of the legal community outside who have told me that Commissioner Webb has purchased over 100 bottles of gin. That gin, she said on the radio this morning (with) Ben Fordham, ‘I have used as gifts for visiting dignitaries’,” Mr Roberts alleged.

‘Well, I say, that’s not right. And that gin was used by the commissioner herself and some of her staff.

“And I’m asking for the data to show where the distribution of that gin went. It’s taxpayers’ money.”

Commissioner Webb called Mr Roberts’ claims “completely false” in a statement.

“The comments made this afternoon under parliamentary privilege are completely wrong,” she said.

‘I am asking for public scrutiny as this is an important part of my job as Chief of Police of NSW. However, these comments are solely intended to damage my personal reputation and are not based on fact.

‘The 50 bottles were purchased in accordance with the policies and procedures set out by LECC (Law Enforcement Conduct Commission).

So far, 24 bottles have been given away as gifts or donated to charity.

‘I have not tasted the Commissioner’s Gin and it is incorrect to state that the bottles were purchased for personal and staff use.’

Speaking to 2GB’s Chris O’Keefe, Ms Webb said Mr Roberts ‘probably mistook me for someone else’.

She also denied the claim that her employees had been drinking gin.

The furore stems from a tradition within the New South Wales Police Force, where the Commissioner purchases bottles for visiting Commissioners and dignitaries from other jurisdictions.

Ms Webb defended her decision to purchase alcohol after the allegations were tabled in the New South Wales parliament on Tuesday.

She explained that the purchase of bottles of gin follows a tradition started by her predecessor, former police chief Mick Fuller.

Ms Webb was cleared of charges of serious misconduct after questions were raised about whether the use of taxpayers’ money was appropriate.

“After becoming Commissioner, I was informed by the previous Commissioner (NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller) of his practice of handing out bottles of the Commissioner’s signature shiraz wine as a courtesy to visiting Commissioners and dignitaries from other jurisdictions,” Ms Webb wrote in a text message to 2GB journalist Ben Fordham, who told his listeners about their conversation on Wednesday.

‘I have continued this tradition and ordered from the same supplier as Commissioner Fuller.

“Some are given to such visitors and others for special occasions, such as donating to the police as an auction item, in support of families of deceased police officers. This is an established precedent, Ben.”

She later confirmed that she had exchanged the wine order for bottles of gin from the same supplier.

On Wednesday, the LECC confirmed it had investigated the allegations after receiving an anonymous complaint on September 7, 2023.

In October 2023, the LECC launched Operation Askern to investigate whether Ms Webb had failed to declare a conflict of interest in the purchase of Commissioner’s Gin.

The LECC found that there was no evidence to support a finding that there had been serious misconduct towards Ms Webb or any other police officer who had allegedly purchased the commissioner’s gin and the presentation boxes.

The investigation also found that the purchase of the alcohol was “in accordance with policies and procedures.”

However, LECC confirmed that Ms Webb ‘should have disclosed her links to the supplier when she became aware of the purchase of Commissioner’s Gin’.

“The Commission has recommended that all NSWPF employees, including the Senior Executive and the Commissioner of Police, be regularly reminded of their duty to declare any conflict of interest, including a perceived conflict of interest,” the LECC said.

A report was handed to Police Minister Yasmin Catley on Tuesday outlining the LECC’s allegations, investigations and findings.

During Question Time on Wednesday, Ms Catley defended the Commissioner’s decision to maintain the tradition of buying gifts for visiting dignitaries. But she confirmed that the expenditure would now be investigated by the LECC.

“The Chief of Police was made aware by the previous Chief of Police of a precedent where bottles of wine were being ordered as courtesy gifts for visiting Commissioners and other dignitaries from other jurisdictions abroad. These bottles have also been used at charity events,” Catley said.

The commissioner ordered bottles of alcohol from the same supplier as the former commissioner.

‘We all give wine as a gift sometimes. For me it is a very normal gift.’

The outcry over the spending came after former New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell resigned after admitting he misled a corruption court over a $3,000 bottle of Penfolds Grange red wine he received from Australian Water Holdings in 2014.

The former prime minister was cleared of any wrongdoing by ICAC in 2017.

Mr Fordham told his listeners on Wednesday that key political figures such as Ms Webb should be held accountable for the way taxpayers’ money is spent.

‘I think if there’s more than one bottle of gin – it could be 10, 20, 50, 100 – she’s been in this role for a while and so she’s given a lot of gifts.

“She may have donated a lot to charity and I don’t criticise her for helping Police Legacy, but because it’s public money she’s going to have to come up with the answers I would suggest soon about how many bottles there are, where they went and what the total cost was,” Mr Fordham said.