Police officer charged with leaking footage of colleague's alleged assault on handcuffed man could face jail
'Queenslanders will say what sort of a system have we got where a video shows a number of police belting the hell out of a bloke'
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A police officer who is accused of leaking footage of his colleagues allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man could face up to seven years in jail.
It is alleged that Queensland Police Sergeant of 25 years, Rick Flori, leaked surveillance footage of four other officers, for which he was charged with one count of criminal misconduct in public office on Friday.
He has also been suspended on full pay but faces losing his job. Sergeant Flori says he will fight the charges against him.
"I thank my family ... I've had multiple phone calls and text messages. I'm very grateful and I thank you all," he said in a brief statement.
Queensland police said in a statement that the "officer is subject of an investigation concerning allegations he accessed and released confidential information.
"The officer has been issued with a notice to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on 15 July 2015 for one charge pursuant to section 92A, Misconduct in relation to public office, of the Criminal Code."
The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years' prison.
An internal police investigation resulted in two officers who are depicted on CCTV restraining Noa Begic being disciplined but they faced no charges.
The president of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties, Terry O’Gorman, has called upon the Police Minister to take a personal interest in the case.
"Queenslanders will say what sort of a system have we got where a video shows a number of police belting the hell out of a bloke.
"They don't get charged, but the officer who leaks the video to the media gets charged," Mr O'Gorman told the ABC.
The leaked footage was published in early 2012 and seemingly shows then 21-year-old Mr Begic being slammed face first into a concrete floor.
The man is then pushed into the back of a van.
The video also shows an officer throwing a bucket of water on the concrete after the incident. The arrest apparently took place during a night out in Surfers Paradise.
Public nuisance charges against Mr Begic were dropped after the Police Commissioner at the time, Bob Atkinson, intervened.
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