POLICE OFFICER FACING CORRUPTION CHARGES:
Decorated sergeant faces fraud charges
A DECORATED police sergeant charged with stealing people’s homes says she is looking forward to her day in court so that she can tell her side of the story.
Sergeant Rosa Catherine Rossi, from Corio, is facing 20 charges following an investigation by Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.
Sgt Rossi is accused of using fake identities, lying to bank staff, signing false statutory declarations, lying to council workers and using the Victoria Police database to access restricted information to take possession of vacant properties across the state over an 18month period.
Sgt Rossi is a decorated Victoria Police officer, having been awarded a group citation medal for merit in the 2012-2013 financial year.
According to Victoria Police the medal is awarded “to an employee who has demonstrated exemplary service to Victoria Police and the Victorian community”.
Court documents list 16 individual victims in relation to properties in Malvern East, Chadstone and Brooklyn, and three properties in Willaura, in regional Victoria.
Sgt Rossi is accused of lying to locksmiths to gain access to several properties.
She has also been accused of wearing her police uniform to induce a council worker to provide her with confidential information.
She faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
It was her first court appearance since she was charged in November last year.
But the hearing was over within minutes, as her lawyers sought more time to prepare her defence to the charges g against her, given the volume of evidence prepared by police.
Outside the court, Sgt Rossi tried to evade a waiting media pack, but said she was looking forward to her day in court.
The IBAC investigation also resulted in the charging of a police inspector with perjury, making a false or misleading statement, and failing to produce a document.
Proceedings in that case are due to begin at Geelong Magistrates’ Court next month.
Sgt Rossi is due to return to court in March.
— SHANNON DEERY