Police from the WA Major Fraud Squad have raided the offices of the The Sunday Times in Perth after a complaint was made by the Department of Premier and Cabinet. According to News Ltd, Sixteen officers executed a search warrant looking for documents connected with an article written by reporter Paul Lampathakis in February, about a $16 million advertising bill for taxpayers to help get the WA Government re-elected.
Police blocked all exists from the building and conducted bag searches on those leaving.
David Cohen from the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance called the raid a “fucking outrage.” That’s the spirit!
“It’s hard to believe that 16 policemen, 16 armed policemen with handcuffs, in uniform, and plain clothes have had to go into the building on someone’s order and look for a file or a document or to question a journalist.”
“This is the sort of thing that happens in Zimbabwe or Russia or Cuba or Iran, this is seriously bad news for free speech.”
Full story can be read here.
Video footage of the raid taking place is also available.
Now if we can just persuade all News Ltd journos to get riled up like this every time OUR speech is inflicted upon.
