By Maeve Bannister in Canberra

THE ACT’s chief prosecutor has been asked why he did not raise his suspicions of a political conspiracy to derail Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial before he brought up the possibility at a public inquiry.

Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold had told the inquiry on Wednesday he was concerned by “strange events” during the investigation and trial that had led him to believe there was a possible political conspiracy in the case.

But on Thursday he clarified these comments, saying it was not a belief he still held having read police submissions to the inquiry.
He said his current view was that police officers involved in the investigation had a “skills deficit” rather than being involved in a conspiracy.

Australian Federal Police lawyer Kate Richardson asked Mr Drumgold why he had not raised his suspicions with AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw before raising them publicly at the inquiry.

“I was not willing to commit to writing the nature of it because I didn’t know the nature of it,” Mr Drumgold said.

“I was asking the question of whether there was a connection between the federal government and ACT Policing, that’s the question that I was asking.”

Mr Drumgold said he was not making an allegation of a political conspiracy to the inquiry, but rather raising it as a possibility he had considered during the investigation and trial.

Ms Richardson said Mr Drumgold’s comments had been widely reported in the media at the time and he gave no indication he no longer believed it was a possibility.

“It was not even within my purview in saying those things that it would be articulated or it would be received as a belief I still have,” Mr Drumgold said.

“In the circumstances (on Wednesday)… I was not asked ‘do I hold that view’ (and) when I was asked that, I explained.”

The inquiry, led by former Queensland solicitor-general Walter Sofronoff, was established by the ACT government to examine how territory police, prosecutors and a victim support service handled Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations.

Officers from ACT Policing and the AFP are expected to give evidence to the inquiry, as well as Mr Lehrmann’s defence lawyer Steven Whybrow and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

Dear Director, about that letter to the police chief…