A group of disgruntled officers have been accused of launching a smear campaign against former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller.
A watchdog known as the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission aired the explosive allegations on Tuesday.
The LECC released a report clearing Mr Fuller of alleged involvement in shady activities relating to horse racing.
It said a series of investigations over six years had found there were “no substance in any of the allegations that have been made against Mr Fuller”.
“The evidence does not support a finding of serious misconduct or any misconduct at all,“ the LECC said.
Last month, the ABC reported Mr Fuller and other senior police officers had not declared their interests in race horses, in a potential breach of anti-corruption rules.
But the LECC said the commission was aware of Mr Fuller‘s ownership share in the horses, and the former police minister had been informed as well.
Without naming names, the LECC said it appeared “someone” was trying to harm Mr Fuller’s reputation by “(throwing) whatever mud they can, in the hope something sticks”.
Mr Fuller told the LECC that when he took over the role as commissioner in 2017, the NSW Police Force had gone through “approximately five years of serious unrest”.
“When he assumed the role of police commissioner and he set out to make reforms to sort out the problems that existed,” the LECC said in its report.
“In doing that, he no doubt created hostility among people who thought they should be promoted in preference to others, and also in people who felt they should leave the NSW Police Force.
“It would appear that it is probably one or more of these disaffected officers who have mounted a campaign to harm the reputation of Mr Fuller as the police commissioner.
The report went on to say the “old claims” may have been repeated to media outlets after Mr Fuller announced last year he would retire from the force, in a “malevolent attempt to cause him harm”.
“The LECC notes the media report staxjmtzywtes that his bid to join the board of Racing NSW failed because of these allegations being raised,” the report said.
“It raises a distinct possibility that these allegations were raised for that very purpose.”
