Australia policeman book pulled over accuracy doubts

July 11: A memoir by a former elite Australian police officer has been pulled from sale following questions over its accuracy.

Released two weeks ago, the Special Operations Group recounted Christophe Glasl's time as a member of the force.

It told of murders, drug busts and the response to the Port Arthur massacre - Australia's worst mass shooting.

But Victoria Police say Glasl was not at Port Arthur and have cast doubts about his version of other events.

Glasl - who is described on LinkedIn as a self-employed author - has not responded to the allegations. He has been contacted for comment.

Publisher Hachette Australia said it had come to its attention that some of the content in the book is "inaccurate".

"We have taken the decision to withdraw this book from sale immediately while we undertake further review," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

It has also removed mention of the book from its website.

Hachette had previously promoted Glasl's book as a "raw, behind-the-scenes look" at what went on in the Special Operations Group (SOG) - "where solidarity, camaraderie and loyalties were undermined by bullying, bastardisation, drug use, lies and betrayal".

"It is... a gripping account of major jobs he attended: fatal shootings, a triple murder, a 100-million-dollar drug bust and the Port Arthur massacre, to name just a few."

But in a statement, Victoria Police - where Glasl is said to have worked for 16 years - raised questions about the accuracy of the book, including Glasl's claims about incidents he attended.

Of particular concern was a chapter focusing on his "claimed involvement" in the "resolution" of the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, the police force said.

The Australian newspaper reported Glasl has told his publishers that he was not in Tasmania on the day of the massacre and that he had always intended his account to be third-hand.

In April 1996, 35 people were killed when gunman Martin Bryant opened fire at a former penal colony and tourist attraction.

The mass shooting prompted a radical overhaul of the nation's gun control laws.

A Victoria Police spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald that only 10 Victorian SOG members went to Tasmania that day.

"To confirm, the former member was not part of the SOG deployment to Port Arthur nor was he even in Tasmania at the time," the statement said.

(BBC)