A senior police officer in the Northern Territory has been charged with dozens of offences, including perverting the course of justice, in relation to a major crash investigation launched in February.
NT Acting Deputy Police Commissioner, Michael White, said a 47-year-old officer was arrested yesterday and charged with 31 offences relating to "unlawful access of data [and] sharing of that data", as well as "damaging evidence in relation to an investigation".
The officer has also been charged with a number of weapons, firearms and wildlife offences.
The ABC has confirmed through sources that the officer, who NT Police has refused to name, is Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Mellon.
Acting Deputy Commissioner White said the officer was arrested yesterday morning by detectives in the major crash unit "as he was entering the workplace".
Destruction of evidence charges relate to crash investigation
Acting Senior Sergeant Mellon was a long-serving member of the Northern Territory's elite Tactical Response Group, the unit responsible for high-profile tactical arrests including of Darwin mass shooter, Ben Hoffman, in 2019.
In 2019, he was recognised in the Australia Day Honours list with an Australian Police Medal.
More recently, Acting Senior Sergeant Mellon had been working as a watch commander with the NT Police.
He has now been suspended without pay and was granted bail, due to appear in court on September 22.
Speaking at a press conference in Darwin, Acting Deputy Commissioner White said the offences relating to attempting to pervert the course of justice and destruction of evidence related to "an investigation that is ongoing and stemming back to a major crash investigation that commenced in February this year".
He said a search warrant was executed at the officer's home.
Acting Deputy Commissioner White also said there was no link to the high-profile murder investigation of NT police officer Zachary Rolfe, nor the recent charges laid against two separate NT police officers.
"It's important to recognise the behaviour of this officer will be before the courts and the matter is in relation to the damage and mistrust of his position within the police force," he told reporters.
He said NT Police will allege the officer "undermined the integrity of the Northern Territory Police and the community of the Northern Territory".
"It is a very disappointing, upsetting and frustrating event that's occurred," he said.
Acting Deputy Commissioner White said the matter has been referred to the NT ICAC and ombudsman.
NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker did not attend the press conference.
In an unrelated incident in 2018, former NT police commissioner John McRoberts was sentenced to three years in jail after he was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice relating to a travel agent investigation.
