Australian Federal Police officer Trent Madders, who investigated Bruce Lehrmann’s rape of Brittany Higgins, has been charged with perjury, perverting the course of justice and concealing evidence in an unrelated matter but which occurred around the same time Bruce Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins at parliament house.
It raises many issues such as:
- Why have the AFP only charged Trent Madders now (Thursday – 11/7/24) given the alleged criminal offences occurred between 2019 and 2020?
- If the AFP had charged Trent Madders earlier, say for example at the beginning of 2022, would it have had an impact on the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial, the Walter Sofronoff ACT Police Corruption Inquiry and/or the Bruce Lehrmann defamation judgment by Justice Michael Lee who said in his judgment there was no evidence of a political cover-up?
- Did Trent Madders’ charges play a part in Madders and the other 4 AFP officers, who sued the ACT government and former ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold for defamation, discontinuing their claim on the 25th of June 2024.
- Did the AFP only charge Trent Madders with the 2019 / 2020 offences of perjury etc because he was one of the five AFP officers suing the ACT government and former ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold for defamation?
- Why did the AFP allow Trent Madders to give a police statement to the Walter Sofronoff ACT Police Corruption Inquiry when they knew he was facing charges for perjury, perverting the course of justice and concealing evidence in an unrelated matter which would go to his credibility as a witness in the ACT Police Corruption Inquiry?
I will address those issues in a minute but first the background to Trent Madders charges
Background to Trent Madders charges – Alleged police cover-up attempt in the investigation into former AFP officer Joshua Tiffen and his twin brother Kenan Tiffen
The ABC reported in May 2019:
A Canberra Australian Federal Police (AFP) officer and his twin brother are behind bars after police allegedly found a large quantity of child pornography, hidden cameras and a device transmitting offensive material at their home.
Joshua Rod Tiffen and his brother Kenan Lee Tiffen, both 41, were arrested yesterday after tip-offs from two women who claimed to have been shown the material by the men at separate times.
Police said they had seized more than 400 videos. Many of the videos allegedly featured girls between 12 and 14, but some contained younger children. (Click her to read more)
In April 2022 “Police officer Joshua Tiffen and twin Kenan found guilty of using hidden cameras to spy on tenants”. (Click here to read more)
In October 2023 it was reported “Both sides to appeal after judge blasted ‘cover up’ in case of brothers who allegedly secretly filmed tenants”. (Click here to read more)
From what I can tell from media reports, Joshua Tiffen and his twin Kenan avoided the most serious charges, possession of child pornography, because key computer evidence was ruled inadmissible as it was not legally seized by the police. And given there is a cover-up allegation, by judges and the the police against AFP Officer Trent Madders, you have to wonder if that was deliberately done by Trent Madders or others to help Joshua Tiffen and his twin Kenan avoid possession of child pornography charges.
Trent Madders’ charges
Media reported on Thursday that AFP officer Trent Madders has been suspended from duty after being charged with perjury, perverting the course of justice and concealing evidence relating to the charges against former AFP officer Joshua Tiffen and his twin brother Kenan Tiffen.
The Riotact website reported:
The charges relate to an investigation into identical twins, former AFP officer Joshua Tiffen and his electrician brother Kenan Tiffen, who had been accused of secretly filming female tenants at a Canberra home in 2019.
The pair had previously been found guilty of three counts of capturing visual data each, but that’s subject to an appeal.
According to the particulars of the charges, Mr Madders is accused of making a false sworn statement in a legal proceeding “with the intention of procuring someone else’s conviction for, or acquittal of, an offence” between 5 and 6 August 2020.
He’s also accused of concealing evidence “with the intention of influencing the outcome of a legal proceeding” sometime between 12 June 2019 and 6 August 2020. (Click here to read more)
- Senior Constable Madders also worked on the case against Bruce Lehrmann
- Trent Madders was one of the five AFP officers that sued the ACT government and former ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold for defamation on the 26th of April 2024 but they dropped their case on the 25th of June 2024 and paid Shane Drumgold’s legal costs of $12,500.
- The matter will return to court on August 1 for a directions hearing.
Trent Madders was one member of a large team who investigated Bruce Lehrmann for the rape of Brittany Higgins. Two others were Detective Superintendent Scott Moller and Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman and as you will see below there is a real pattern with supporting evidence of police corruption that has just strengthened with Trent Madders’ charges.
One the 31st of May 2023 I published an article titled “AFP Detective Scott Moller committed perjury at the ACT Inquiry trying to conceal aiding and abetting Bruce Lehrmann” which starts off:
Detective Superintendent Scott Moller has blatantly committed perjury at the ACT Police Corruption Inquiry when he gave evidence on Tuesday the 23rd of May and the 2 key witnesses are Bruce Lehrmann’s barristers Steve Whybrow and John Korn.
Steve Whybrow and John Korn have in effect accused Detective Superintendent Scott Moller of helping them with Bruce Lehrmann’s defence and that is why Scott Moller refuted their version of events when he was in the witness stand. (Click here to read the article)
On the 8th of June 2023 I published an article titled “AFP Detective Marcus Boorman’s tampering with a police document to conceal Bruce Lehrmann’s lies exposed at the ACT Inquiry” which starts off:
Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman deliberately deleted 2 key paragraphs of a document written by other police, that accused Bruce Lehrmann of lying, which was sent to a senior police officer to determine the prospect of rape charges against Lehrmann as per the below video of the ACT Police Corruption Inquiry. (Click here to read the article)
Let’s look at the issues
1. Why have the AFP only charged Trent Madders now given the alleged criminal offences occurred between 2019 and 2020?
Trent Madders could have been charged in April 2022 or not long after given former police officer Joshua Tiffen and twin Kenan were found guilty in April 2022. Why the AFP have waited almost 4 years before charging Trent Madders is greatly disturbing and given the seriousness of the charges he was trying to cover-up for another AFP officer there needs to be a public inquiry.
2. If the AFP had charged Trent Madders earlier, say for example at the beginning of 2022, would it of had an impact on the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial, the Walter Sofronoff ACT Police Corruption Inquiry and/or the Bruce Lehrmann defamation judgment by Justice Michael Lee who said in his judgment there was no evidence of a cover-up?
If Trent Madders had been charged in April 2022 it would have greatly undermined his creditability as a witness at the Walter Sofronoff ACT Police Corruption Inquiry. Trent Madders filed a witness statement signed on the 19th of April 2023 at the Walter Sofronoff ACT Police Corruption Inquiry. (Click here to read Trent Madders witness statement)
Walter Sofronoff protected the corrupt police in his ACT Inquiry Report but it would have made it harder for Sofronoff to do that if Trent Madders had already been charged, and possibly been found guilty, of his current charges.
At the very least Trent Madders witness statement could have been challenged by Shane Drumgold, or someone else, based on Madders’ credibility given his alleged crimes. But that never happened because for some unexplained reason the AFP had not charged him at that point.
Given Trent Madders is alleged to have tried to cover-up the crimes of former police officer Joshua Tiffen and Kenan Tiffen did Madders also try to cover-up Bruce Lehrmann’s rape of Brittney Higgins.
Both Brittany Higgins and former ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold have previously made allegations of a cover-up and if they had known about the charges against Trent Madders that might have made a difference to how they made their complaints and how those complaints were received by others.
3. Did Trent Madders’ charges play a part in Madders and the other 4 AFP officers, who sued the ACT government and former ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold for defamation, discontinuing their defamation claim on the 25th of June 2024.
Commander Michael Chew, Detective Superintendent Scott Moller, Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman, Senior Constable Emma Frizzell and Senior Constable Trent Madders sued for defamation in April 2024 and discontinued their claim on the 25th of June 2024. (Click here to read more)
There could be a number of reasons why they discontinued their claim. I think the most likely reason is they sued for defamation hoping for an easy win with a settlement payout from the ACT government like Senator Reynolds received.
But Senator Reynolds sued in the WA Supreme Court which has the old defamation laws which make it easier for applicants to win a defamation case which is probably why the ACT government settled the case for $90,000 ($70,000 in damages and $20,000 in legal costs).
The ACT, and the Federal Court of Australia which is the court where the 5 filed their claim, has the new defamation laws, as does every other state except WA, which makes it easier to defend defamation claims. And I suspect the ACT government were going to defend the claim otherwise it might open the floodgates for other public servants to sue the government for defamation.
My guess is, faced with the reality that they would not be getting an easy payday via a quick settlement, and that they would have to hop in the witness box and perjure themselves, the 5 AFP officers decided to discontinue their defamation claim and pay Shane Drumgold’s costs of $12,000.
4. Did the AFP only charge Trent Madders with the 2019 / 2020 offences of perjury etc because he was one of the five AFP officers suing the ACT government and former ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold for defamation?
Given the AFP had been sitting on charges against Trent Madders almost 4 years before charging him, the question has to asked did Trent Madders and the other 4 AFP officers suing for defamation motivate the AFP to charge him?
5. Why did the AFP allow Trent Madders to give a police statement to the Walter Sofronoff ACT Police Corruption Inquiry when they knew he was facing charges for perjury, perverting the course of justice and concealing evidence in an unrelated matter which would go to his credibility as a witness in the ACT Police Corruption Inquiry?
To my knowledge Trent Madders only gave evidence by a witness statement to the Walter Sofronoff ACT Police Corruption Inquiry. He wasn’t called to give evidence, so he wasn’t cross examined on his witness statement.
But the AFP would have known at that point in time that Madders was facing criminal charges for his role in the alleged cover-up attempt in the Joshua Tiffen and Kenan Tiffen matter. So, the AFP really had an obligation to declare Madders’ likely charges to the ACT Police Corruption Inquiry and other witnesses of the Inquiry. The fact that the AFP didn’t make that declaration should be investigated.
Senator Linda Reynolds defamation case against Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz is due to start on the 2nd of August in the Supreme Court of Western Australia and some more evidence of the cover-up might be exposed during the trial.
I’ve been sitting on what I regard as being some smoking gun evidence in relation to the political cover-up of the Brittany Higgins rape at parliament house and I will publish it in the next few days.
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Categories: Australian Federal Police
I feel incredibly sorry for Shane Drumgold through all of this. He alleged bad practice by the AFP from the outset. Hopefully he’ll be able to get back his dignity, at least, with the outcome.
Yes I agree, he needs an apology
Sympathies for the Citizens of ACT that they are lumped with this collection of misfits, liars and thugs they call ACT policing, AFP have lowest clear up rates for sexual assaults in Australia, they go from one scandal to another,beating citizens, perjury etc, citizens would have difficulties distinguishing between their contracted police service and the criminal elements of the ACT. ACT policing were never able to solve who murdered their own assistant commissioner years back.
I agree, the AFP needs a huge flush out. It’s an insult to the Australian people to expect us to trust these grubs. We pay their wages and should be able to trust them. But that’s impossible.
Well documented. Thanks KCA. Aussie Bob
Thank you, Shane. Excellent journalism, something sadly lacking in our disgusting murdoch infested media.
Goodness gracious!
I certainly do agree, there does indeed need to be a suitably targeted and in-depth inquiry into the AFP.
That which has just been outlined in this KCA article, is a very concerning timeline of events. One is left with very unsettling questions. How does all this “just happen”? It just doesn’t. Not in my books AND I think the inquiry into the AFP should commence right at the very top.
“The fish rots from the head” – Chinese Proverb
Reece Kershaw, recently REAPPOINTED the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), is facing increasing scrutiny regarding his integrity and suitability for his position. His annual salary, an impressive $796,890, makes him the highest-paid top cop in Australia, a fact that raises questions about his performance and accountability.
Commissioner Kershaw’s recent actions have only added fuel to the fire. He was notably absent from a specially convened hearing at Parliament, opting instead to be in China to “re-sign” agreements. This decision was made public through the media before Kershaw had even informed Parliament of his intended absence, raising eyebrows about his transparency and commitment. OUTCOME?
Moreover, Kershaw has been criticized for not declaring a conflict of interest over his friendship with a senior PwC partner, former NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller. Senator David Shoebridge alleges that their personal relationship could jeopardize the criminal investigation into the PwC tax scandal. Kershaw has vehemently denied. OUTCOME?
The AFP recently hosted the second Child Sexual Exploitation Regional Dialogue in Cambodia. This initiative aims to better identify and investigate traveling child sex offenders and mitigate the targeting of children on social media platforms. However, this positive effort is overshadowed by internal criticisms and recent events with one of his own officers. OUTCOME?
A 2021 AFP staff survey revealed a litany of “damning” opinions about the service’s culture, particularly its LEADERSHIP, administration, and recruitment and promotion practices. Such internal dissent indicates deeper issues within the AFP that need addressing. OUTCOME?
Kershaw’s comments during Senate estimates have also drawn criticism. He claimed that Gen Z employees needed praise “three times a week,” while the study he referenced actually stated that recognition was needed “a few times a month.” This discrepancy further undermines his credibility. OUTCOME? There’s more …
REAPPOINTMENT was the OUTCOME. Beats me?
These issues collectively with the timeline of events in this article, cast doubt on Reece Kershaw’s integrity and suitability for his role as the Commissioner of the AFP. Is he truly the right person to lead the Australian Federal Police amidst these controversies and internal criticisms?