Commission witness backs up brother’s evidence. 25/05/2005. ABC News Online
The evidence of a man who says he saw South Australian lawyer Eugene McGee speeding moments before he hit and killed cyclist Ian Humphrey has been backed up by his brother. John Zisimou has told the Kapunda Road Royal Commission sitting in Adelaide that his brother Tony had told police about seeing McGee’s four-wheel drive when an official interview was taken a week after the collision in late 2003.

A week after the fatal collision, Sergeant Dan Hassell went to interview Tony and John Zisimou. John Zisimou today told the commission of a conversation between the three before the official interview was taken.

He said Tony Zisimou told Sgt Hassell about seeing McGee’s four-wheel drive prior to the crash. He said Sgt Hassell seemed excited and replied: “Really? You actually saw him before the accident, are you sure about that. There were no other witnesses that saw the vehicle before, so this information is pretty important.”

John Zisimou told the commission that Sgt Hassell had maintained contact to make sure the brothers were still willing to give evidence at McGee’s trial, however they were never called. Meanwhile the head of the commission, Greg James QC, has questioned why a police internal affairs investigation was launched the day after the brothers told their story to the media.

Mr James said he was unsure why Police Commissioner Mal Hyde ordered the investigation despite there being no criticism of police in the television interview. Mr James asked police lawyer Rick Halliday why it was that a police internal affairs investigation started less than 24 hours after the interview was aired.

The commissioner said: “I don’t understand why there was a need for the investigation when there was nothing in the interview critical of police.”I’m trying to work out why the commissioner is having an internal investigation into police because the DPP didn’t call some evidence – that is a very peculiar situation.”