Karen Hart
A GEELONG motorcycle gang heavyweight is remaining tight-lipped on reports of a six-figure pay out over a Victoria Police raid.
Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Club Geelong boss Robert Sloan would only say he was “happy” to keep any settlement confidential.
Mr Sloan launched his long-running civil action against Victoria Police after alleging the drug squad set him up during the 2000 raid.
Mr Sloan alleged he was wrongfully jailed for five months.
He refused to confirm reports his pay out was $385,000.
“I can’t comment,” he told the Independent this week.
“All I can say is I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement with Victoria Police that I’m happy with.”
Mr Sloan, a father-of-three, said he would like to talk about the agreement but had signed a legal contract with police chiefs.
The 49-year-old began legal proceedings against Victoria Police more than two years ago.
He claimed during his 2001 trial that detectives planted amphetamines and pseudoephedrine in his house after arresting him.
Mr Sloan was convicted of trafficking and sentenced to more than four years jail.
But the conviction was quashed after five months when drug squad detective Stephen Paton, who was involved in the raid on Mr Sloan’s house, was arrested.
Mr Sloan was freed from jail when the Court of Appeals took the rare step of releasing a prisoner whose convictions were based on the evidence of a drug squad officer later charged with similar offences.
Paton was jailed on serious drug offences.
Victoria Police said it could not comment on the report of the settlement with Mr Sloan.
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