Tuesday, October 20, 1987

Former Solicitor Enters Guilty Plea


Tuesday October 20, 1987

A former solicitor said he would plead guilty to conspiring with former detective Roger Rogerson and two others to pervert the course of justice, Central Local Court was told yesterday.

In his first court appearence on the charge, Ross Karp, representing himself, told the Deputy Chief Magistrate, Mr Bruce Brown, that the Crown had had "ample time" to prepare a case against him and he was unhappy with the delay.

Karp, 38, Rogerson, 46, a former doctor, Nicholas Paltos, 47, and an importer, Maurice Nowytarger, 42, are charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice on May 21, 1985, and March 7, 1986, in Sydney.

The Crown prosecutor, Mr Greg Smith, said Rogerson and another man had deposited more than $100,000 in bank accounts under false names.

When the bank was alerted, Rogerson removed the money and lodged it in another account in a false name and later gave false reasons to police for having the money, he said.

It is alleged that Nowytarger was involved with Rogerson in setting up false bank accounts.

Rogerson was arrested on September 29 by police involved in Operation Omega, an investigation into the shooting of Constable Michael Drury in 1984.

None of the defendants was required to plead yesterday, but Karp insisted on entering a guilty plea.

"The Crown should be ready for this. They have known about this for two years; I have been in custody for two years," he said from the dock.

Mr Smith said that Rogerson's was a very serious charge and asked for conditions to be attached to his bail.

"We have some fears that unless some bail condition is set and it is an appropriate one, the defendant may either disappear or interfere with witnesses," he said.

There would be evidence that Rogerson had approached two witnesses in an"attempt to discourage them from talking to police".

Mr Val Bellamy, for Rogerson, said the serious allegations about his client were vigorously denied.

He said he had been told that the prosecution was interfering with witnesses to make them change their evidence.

Mr Brown refused to place conditions on bail, and removed Rogerson's twice-weekly reporting condition.

Bail was continued for Nowytarger.

Paltos and Karp, both serving jail sentences for conspiring to import cannabis, remained in custody and all defendants were ordered to reappear on October 30.