ABORIGINAL leader Noel Pearson lashed out at Queensland's
Director of Public Prosecutions, Leanne Clare, yesterday, accusing
her of incompetence after she decided not to charge a policeman
involved in the death of an Aboriginal man on Palm Island.
The Federal Government also weighed into the scandal, with
Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough calling for an independent
investigation into Mulrunji Doomadgee's death.
Mr Pearson questioned Ms Clare's judgement on Thursday that
there wasn't enough evidence to prove Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley
was responsible for the death, despite the coroner finding that the
policeman had struck Mulrunji and caused his death.
"Nobody in Queensland can have confidence in her judgement," Mr
Pearson said on ABC radio. "She screwed up … and in this
critical case … she has just absolutely driven indigenous
people to depths of despair."
