INSIDE THE INVESTIGATION
By 1990 I had well and truly moved on from my days with the Department of Corrective Services following the dramatic turn of events that ended my career. You can read all about that in my book “It’s all in the Fall”, in fact you could say I expected to have very little or nothing at all to do with prisons, prison officers or prisoners in any way whatsoever.
I had been advised to move on with my life, and that’s exactly what I did. I was given a start at Webster’s Security and Investigations as an investigator and surveillance operative, at that time the largest privately owned investigation company in the southern hemisphere, owned and operated by Sydney businessman Richard T. Mailey. By 1992 I had progressed rapidly to the position of National Security Manager. Although specialising in security I had still maintained my investigation licence.
I had received a phone call early in September in 1992 from Greg Keating, a solicitor from McClellands Solicitors in Sydney. Of course the name rang a bell, Paul Keating was the current Prime Minister of Australia at the time and although there was no apparent likeness, I wasn’t surprised to learn that he was Paul Keating’s brother. To me they were like chalk and cheese. Greg Keating was very much his own person with a strong identity. Apart from the surname, there was not a particular likeness between the two. Greg was much shorter than his more famous brother, he wore glasses and strangely enough, even before having it confirmed I was not surprised to learn that they were brothers, as Greg possessed a certain air of importance about him, not dissimilar to his brother. I found Greg Keating to be a very friendly young man completely focused on the job at hand.
Mr Keating was at that stage handling all the cases pertaining to the Public Service Association (PSA). I had known him from the work he had prepared for my own case, and of course he knew me and was well aware of my experience and qualifications. He told me he was representing Geoffrey Pearce on behalf of the PSA. I had followed the case as much as I possibly could in the media as it was such a devastating outcome for young Geoff and of course for his family. Mr Keating asked me if I would help with the case by doing the investigation on behalf of the PSA representing Geoffrey Pearce. This was a case I was especially interested in. I had confidence in my ability to do the enquiry justice, I had the knowledge and skills required and I knew it was a case I could really sink my teeth into.
A short time later I received a letter from Mr Keating dated 14 September 1992 outlining my instructions as to what enquires I should undertake and directing my attention to certain documents the Department had produced by an “Order of Discovery”. These are the records and relevant testimonials set by the Department to formulate all of the documents relative to issues between the parties in this case.
The NSW Department of Corrective Services were notorious for holding back documents and other evidence when served with an Order of Discovery. I had seen Michael Yabsley, the Minister for the Department, on the television sitting alongside Geoff during an interview, spruiking how he and the government would stand by Geoff and give him every support he could possibly need, going to exaggerated lengths to show great compassion and concern for this young officer who through no fault of his own, was facing a death sentence. Geoff sat quietly alongside him looking almost stunned and despondent, yet I am certain that he believed every word Mr Yabsley uttered during his noble guarantee to support Geoff and provide him with every possible assistance the Department could offer. That news report will haunt me for life as I watched a young, ambitious prison officer dealt a bitterly cruel blow with such a bleak future ahead.
Geoff, from my observations, was quite simply left out in the cold the very moment the cameras were turned off. The PSA were left to pick up the pieces and take this critical incident to court in an effort to secure him some real compensation to enable Geoff to have some sort of comfort in the short amount of time he would have left with his family. Bearing in mind, in 1990, treatment for HIV was very much in its infancy and almost always resulted in a quick and certain death sentence.
To learn more about how this courageous officer was let down by the Minister and the Administration of the Department of Corrective Services, and what I uncovered during the investigation, read pages 284 to 302 of my new book, Australia’s Best Prison Stories. I believe it is unbelievable that the Department’s tactics were deliberate and calculated to ensure Geoffrey Pearce did not receive the full amount of compensation that he should have received.
This I believe.
Peter Egge
Photo of Geoff courtesy of Robert A
Wood
