The visa was granted to Francesco Madafferi— who was arrested last month for an alleged major drug trafficking conspiracy— around a year after his supporters donated money to the Liberal Party and four Liberal MPs made representations or contacted Ms Vanstone about his case.

As revealed in The Age on Saturday, one of the donors was Mr Madafferi’s brother, Antonio, an alleged senior Calabrian crime figure. It has also emerged that one of the MPs who contacted Ms Vanstone, Russell Broadbent, did so after a request from another Liberal donor.

A document signed by Ms Vanstone, who is now Australia’s ambassador to Italy, reveals that she granted Mr Madafferi a visa in November 2005 after “having regard to this person’s particular circumstances and personal characteristics”.

Former immigration minister Philip Ruddock had ordered his deportation in 2000 because of his alleged involvement in serious crimes in Italy in the 1980s, and because he had overstayed his visa and was in Australia as an illegal immigrant.

Mr Madafferi was arrested last month and charged with conspiracy to traffic a commercial quantity of ecstasy.

A document tabled in parliament in March 2006 says that Ms Vanstone decided to exercise her discretionary powers in the Madafferi case because it was “in the public interest”.

The document says she granted Mr Madafferi a permanent spouse visa on 3 November 2005 “as a discretionary and humanitarian act to an individual with a genuine ongoing need.” Mr Madafferi had claimed to suffer serious mental health problems and had been involuntarily admitted to a mental institution during his fight to remain in Australia.

Ms Vanstone told The Age from Rome yesterday that she had just returned from a trip to Russia and was too busy to respond to questions, first sent last week, about the matter. But in a further four-line statement, she said: “I have never accepted any cash donation or any cheque made out to me. I have always complied with the relevant legislation.”

The Age revealed on Saturday that 14 months before Mr Madafferi was granted his visa, Ms Vanstone and three other Liberal MPs attended a Liberal fundraiser in Melbourne attended by several of Mr Madafferi’s supporters.

The three MPs who attended the September 2004 fundraiser — Russell Broadbent, Bruce Billson and Marise Payne— each lobbied or contacted Ms Vanstone about the case on behalf of Mr Francesco’s supporters or family. There is no evidence they did so because of donations or improper influence.

The trio have said their involvement in the case surrounded the impact of Mr Madafferi’s detention and impending deportation on his mental health and that of his wife and children.

Mr Broadbent has now revealed he contacted Ms Vanstone about the visa case after a request from Frank Lamattina— a vegetable grower, Liberal donor and long-time acquaintance who lives in Mr Broadbent’s electorate.

Vanstone helped suspected mafia figure ‘in the interests of a humane society’ – Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker – September 23, 2008 – Fairfax Digital – This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/national/vanstone-helped-suspected-mafia-figure-in-the-interests-of-a-humane-society-20080922-4lsk.html?page=-1

ONE of Victoria’s veteran Calabrian mafia bosses has died of natural causes, aged 86.

Undercover police are expected to closely monitor mourners at Rosario “Ross” Gangemi’s Moonee Ponds funeral on Monday.

His death enables the Herald Sun to finally reveal Gangemi’s high standing in the mafia.

It also legally allows us to reveal that Gangemi was named by Italian police as ordering one of the infamous Victoria Market murders in 1963.

Gangemi served alongside Melbourne mafia godfather Liborio Benvenuto from the 1960s to the 1980s, possibly as his deputy.

Police intelligence files show he remained a respected and influential member until his death on Saturday in Coburg’s John Fawkner Hospital.

Canberra mafia cell boss Pasquale “Il Principale” Barbaro, who became a police informer in 1989 and was murdered the following year, was secretly taped by detectives naming Gangemi as one of Melbourne’s Calabrian mafia bosses.

A confidential 1991 Victoria Police report named Gangemi as one of the top 10 mafiosi in the state.

That same year, the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence identified Gangemi as one of the top 30 Italian organised crime bosses in the country.

Gangemi was born in Calabria in 1922 and arrived in Melbourne in 1951, quickly working his way up the underworld hierarchy.

Police allege Gangemi was involved in an extortion racket at the Melbourne wholesale fruit and vegetable market for more than 25 years.

“Rosario Gangemi is considered a senior member of the Benvenuto crime family, frequently nominated by informers as a leading contender for leadership of that crime family following the death of Benvenuto,” said the ABCI document.

When Liborio Benvenuto knew he was close to death he nominated Giuseppe “Joe” Arena to succeed him as Melbourne godfather.

Arena, 50, was shot dead by a rival faction six weeks after Benvenuto died in 1988.

Michele Scriva, another Gangemi associate, committed Melbourne’s first mafia hit, stabbing Giuseppe “Fat Joe” Versace 91 times in 1945. He later served years in jail for another murder.

Gangemi knew Melbourne underworld godfather Domenico “The Pope” Italiano, whose death in 1962 sparked a power struggle to take over the cell.

That in turn resulted in the deaths of Calabrian-born mobsters Vincenzo Angilletta and Vincenzo Muratore.

Their deaths in 1963 and 1964 became known as the Victoria Market murders.

Among the international experts brought to Victoria to help investigate the market murders was Italian police assistant commissioner Dr Ugo Macera.

He produced a still-secret report implicating Gangemi in the death of Angilletta.

The Macera Report, which has been seen by the Herald Sun, said: “Vincenzo Angilletta’s murder is the classic example of a killing decided by the mafia.”

Godfather II Rosario ‘Ross’ Gangemi dies – Keith Moor – July 02, 2008 12:00am – This story was found at: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,23955425-2862,00.html

It was set up after she was forced to scrap an earlier mafia taskforce, Operation Clarendon, after discovering one of its detectives, Wayne Strawhorn, was being investigated over corruption allegations.

Strawhorn has since been jailed for drug trafficking.

Ms Nixon said yesterday another taskforce with different officers had been set up to investigate matters Operation Clarendon was probing.

Two of Clarendon’s targets were underworld identity Mick Gatto and Calabrian mafia money man Mario Condello.

Condello was murdered in 2006; Mr Gatto was acquitted of the 2005 killing of underworld hitman Andrew “Benji” Veniamin.

Operation Clarendon’s terms of reference were to investigate:

ALLEGED links between serving and retired Victoria Police officers and Italian organised crime gangs.

MAFIA influence on the Footscray fruit and vegetable market.

ALLEGED mafia involvement in unsolved murders in Victoria.

HOW many Calabrian mafia members operated in Victoria and their links with interstate mafia cells.

Ms Nixon said yesterday information gathered by Clarendon was passed to taskforce Lorcha, which was still operating.

The Office of Police Integrity this week criticised Ms Nixon for not following correct procedures when she set up Clarendon after receiving information from former Commonwealth Police officer Kerry Milte about alleged Calabrian mafia activity in Victoria.

Ms Nixon’s chief of staff told the OPI this was because there had then been a perception that the force’s organised crime squad was not operating effectively.

The OPI said that Milte was a manipulator who had persuaded Ms Nixon to set up Clarendon for his own purposes.

Ms Nixon said yesterday she’d acted appropriately. “Then I came to understand the team, I had concerns, and then we terminated that inquiry and then proceeded with another investigation.”

Milte was convicted and fined in 2006 after admitting he incited a Victoria Police officer to illegally access sensitive material from the police database.

He revealed details of his knowledge of Italian organised crime in a five-hour taped interview with detectives from Victoria Police’s Ethical Standards Department.

An interview transcript contains a claim by Milte that former Victorian federal Labor MP Bob Sercombe was present when union boss Dean Mighell allegedly told Milte that Mr Gatto had threatened to kill him.

His statement also alleged mafia figures were trying to turn legitimate by putting money into enterprises such as cranes. He named Mr Gatto’s company, Elite Cranes, as one the mafia had put money into.

Mr Sercombe, Mr Mighell and Mr Gatto have denied Milte’s claims.

Top cop Christine Nixon defends Operation Clarendon actions – Keith Moor – June 28, 2008 12:00am – This story was found at: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23932508-2862,00.html

One of the taskforce detectives selected by the Chief Commissioner was jailed for drug dealing and another resigned immediately after being questioned by the Office of Police Integrity.

And the man who convinced Ms Nixon to form the mafia taskforce has been convicted and fined for inciting a Victoria Police officer to provide confidential information.

An OPI report yesterday accused the Victoria Police commander Ms Nixon chose to head the mafia probe of using it to further his own interests.

Operation Clarendon was established to investigate links between serving and retired Victoria Police officers and Italian organised crime gangs.

It was scrapped in July 2002 after Ms Nixon was told of corruption allegations against the taskforce’s Det-Sen-Sgt Wayne Strawhorn.

The OPI report yesterday revealed former Victorian federal Labor MP Bob Sercombe was instrumental in the taskforce’s formation, introducing Rod Lambert, then a Victoria Police commander, to former federal policeman Kerry Milte.

The OPI report criticised Milte, Mr Lambert and now jailed former drug squad detective Strawhorn for their roles in the mafia taskforce.

“Operation Clarendon appears to have been engineered by Mr Milte, Mr Lambert and Mr Strawhorn to further their own interests, although Mr Lambert denies this,” it said.

Ms Nixon appointed Mr Lambert and Strawhorn to Operation Clarendon in April 2002 after two face-to-face meetings with Milte.

The OPI report said she’d agreed to see Milte because former NSW assistant commission Paul McKinnon, whom she’d known since childhood, had recommended him as a man with valuable information about organised crime.

Strawhorn was convicted in 2006 of drug trafficking. Mr Lambert quit shortly after being quizzed by the OPI about his involvement with Milte, who was convicted and fined in 2006 after admitting inciting a Victoria Police officer to illegally access sensitive material from the police database.

The only criticism of Ms Nixon in the OPI report, tabled in State Parliament yesterday, was that she didn’t follow correct procedures in establishing Operation Clarendon.

Ms Nixon’s chief of staff, Kevin Scott, told the OPI this was because of the nature of Milte’s information and a perception at the time that the organised crime squad was not working effectively.

But the Police Association yesterday accused the OPI of going soft on Ms Nixon by not properly examining her role in the Milte affair.

“The OPI report is a whitewash,” Police Association legal manager Greg Davies said.

“The OPI’s past form tells us that there is no doubt that its treatment of the Chief Commissioner in this report is infinitely more favourable than any other police member it has previously dealt with.”

A spokeswoman for Ms Nixon denied that the OPI investigation had not been thorough and said she and the force had fully co-operated with the OPI.

Office of Police Integrity lashes mafia squad – Keith Moor – June 27, 2008 12:00am – This story was found at: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23929209-2862,00.html

Dutch authorities have warned their Australian counterparts that tonnes of ecstasy pills are arriving by container at various ports, because we lead world demand for the drug.

The Netherlands-based elite Synthetic Drugs Unit, which co-ordinates the international fight against illicit substances, said criminals had formed multi-national alliances to serve the high demand and high returns available here.

The Dutch have just closed their anti-drugs bureau in Miami in favour of posting a police officer to Canberra to liaise directly with the Australian Federal Police.

Cees van Spierenburg, the public prosecutor who runs their Synthetic Drugs Unit, said intelligence had uncovered plans for mass shipments of drugs for Australia, and warned: “We are talking about millions of tablets.

“It’s a question of supply and demand. Organised crime groups are trying to earn as much money as easily and quickly as possible.

“So if you are able to sell a tablet for $20 or more and it costs you a quarter of a euro dollar to produce, you really can make a lot of money.”

The drugs are also made to order, down to their weight and even the local logos stamped on them, by order of Australian underworld chiefs.

Mr van Spierenburg said his officers had found the Chinese were sending chemical ingredients to the Netherlands to convert into drugs.

The finished product was driven to ports across Europe, particularly Italy, for export to Australia.

“The mafia is now the intermediary in the exportation to Australia,” he said.

The mafia used its extensive network of contacts to ensure the movements remained undetected. The direct involvement of the Italians is significant, because they have not been a strong feature of the Australian crime scene for more than two decades.

The Synthetic Drugs Unit has also found evidence that Chinese criminals are exporting the chemicals direct to Australia for local mass production of ecstasy.

They usually arrive in sea containers, disguised as shipments of goods such as soy sauce. A scattergun approach is suspected, where dozens of containers are shipped to various ports particularly along the east coast, in the anticipation that some will be found but others won’t.

Mr van Spierenberg said: “It’s like the cocaine swallowers. You can have 30 drug couriers who have swallowed cocaine arriving on one plane.

“But we only have the capacity to find three or four of them, so you take the risk and some get through.”

Drugs flood warning – Charles Miranda – April 10, 2008 12:00am – http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23514284-662,00.html

Italian officials have offered no response to questions from their Australian counterparts over their failure to lodge paperwork enabling the extradition to Italy of the men allegedly behind a plan to import a record amount of cocaine into Melbourne in 2004.

The Calabrian-based Mafiosi involved in the plan have already served several years of lengthy jail terms but their four alleged Australian conspirators, named in arrest warrants issued in 2004 by an Italian magistrate, remain free.

Visits and cables from the Australian Federal Police to Rome have failed to produce an outcome. Nor have requests from the Attorney-General’s extradition unit to the Italian embassy in Canberra.

Italy’s failure to lodge the extradition paperwork is another setback in efforts by the AFP to ensure the charges proceed, including initial close co-operation with Italian police and extensive surveillance and phone taps between 2002 and 2004.

The impasse underscores the difficulties often faced by Australia when dealing with overseas agencies.

In 2004, Italian authorities sent Australia thousands of documents, in Italian, outlining their case against the Australian men, but the papers did not satisfy extradition requirements.

Since then, Italian authorities have failed to follow up on their promise to provide the correct paperwork.

The AFP may now be forced to destroy evidence it gathered against the men due to time limits on the storage of intercepted phone calls.

In March last year, The Age revealed that Italian court documents listed the wanted men as Victorians Nicola Ciconte, 51, Michael Calleja, 49, and Vincenzo Medici, 41, and South Australian Carmelo Loprete.

The documents allege that the men planned to ship more than 500 kilograms of cocaine into Melbourne in 2004. Because of the failure to initiate extradition proceedings, the men will only be arrested if they travel to Italy.

The AFP’s Operation Hellenic spent tens of thousands of dollars and significant manpower to investigate the four accused and their associates but did not charge them after advice from the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

Italian investigators have alleged the Australian men were part of a Mafia network with links to terrorist groups in Colombia and Spain. A senior Italian Anti-Mafia Commission prosecutor claimed last year that he had already ordered the Australian men’s extradition.

According to Italian court documents, Ciconte was allegedly involved in “promoting, financing and organising the operation”.

An Italian embassy spokesman said he could offer “no information about this case”.

Italy stalls extradition of wanted Australians – Nick McKenzie – August 6, 2007 – http://www.theage.com.au/news/investigations/italy-stalls-extradition-of-wanted-australians/2007/08/05/1186252546314.html