Rogerson charged with Gao’s murder
Ex-police officer marched down driveway in handcuffs
ALMOST three decades after he played a star role in one of the most turbulent chapters in the history of the NSW Police Force, Roger Rogerson is back behind bars.
A compelling police investigation into the alleged murder of 20-year-old drug dealer Jamie Gao peaked with the arrest of the 73-year-old outside his Padstow home yesterday.
The former senior police officer, who was dismissed from the force in the early 1980s, had been sought for questioning over the disappearance of Mr Gao (pictured), who was allegedly at the centre of a $3 million
Solicitor claims police were heavy handed as his client could not “even walk, let alone flee”
drug deal when he was killed on May 20.
Despite being aware police wished to speak with him, Rogerson appeared startled as he was marched down his driveway in handcuffs with his seething solicitor Paul Kenny in tow. As his client was placed into the back of a police car, Mr Kenny labelled the arrest, which took place in front of the waiting media pack, as a “disgrace” and likened the highly publicised investigation to the murder trial of celebrity sportsman OJ Simpson.
He argued police had been heavy handed as his client couldn’t “even walk, let alone flee” and moved with the aid of a walking stick.
A statement released by NSW police stated officers were “not satisfied” with the arrangements proposed by Rogerson’s legal team – he was apparently planning to hand himself in at the Sydney Police Centre later in the morning after returning from Brisbane on a speaking engagement – and an “operational decision” had been made to arrest him at his home.
By yesterday afternoon, Rogerson had been charged with Mr Gao’s murder.