A member of John Thwaites branch of Independent Labour has accused the Victorian Deputy Premier of “being totally and absolutely dishonest” by his claims to be “unaware of the details” of his high profile case or to have any responsibility to represent him on it as it is not within ‘his portfolio responsibilities.’

Tony Holland of Yarraville, Melbourne has been fighting for many years to overturn his conviction for receiving stolen goods at Bradford Crown Court in England in November 1981, for which he received a 12 month prison sentence, reduced on appeal to six months.

On his release Holland emigrated to Australia and has lived there since.

Holland has stated that as a branch member “Thwaites and I often meet at branch or party meetings or even on the lawns of Parliament where we discuss the case.”

“My case has been 4 times before State Parliament and debated in several adjournment debates.”

Victorian Parliamentary Hansard records show these claims to be true. On one occasion; in May 1994. Licia Kokocinski, Melbourne West MP, raised Holland’s case at the Legislative Council stating she had “some documentation” she “wished to pass on to the Attorney General” which “may show that the British Home Secretary was misled about the forensic analysis relied on by the British police.”

Holland was convicted as a result of evidence by odd-job man Melvin Hodgson. Holland denies having recruited Hodgson to steal materials to be used in houses he was renovating.

At the appeal hearing all 3 Judges conceded that Hodgson was ‘a young man lying under oath.’ Ten years later Hodgson was arrested by 12 armed officers after being accused of raping a prostitute. Whilst on remand he committed suicide in Armley Prison on December 28th 1991.

Just prior to this the Australian MP and Deputy Premier of Victoria State Robert Fordham had began to enquire about Holland’s case and was in correspondence with the British Secretary of State David Waddington.

Holland’s case is currently being reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission [CCRC] in Britain for the third time. It is being sponsored by long serving Leeds Councillor John Illingworth, who last year wrote formally to the CCRC asking them “to re-open this case with a new investigator” and to “specifically look into Holland’s claims of police malpractice.”

Holland has found himself hampered by West Yorkshire Police’s refusal to release a 300 page report written by Superintendent Feaster at the time of his conviction. “I have written asking the Home Office to release this file, but they have refused” said Illingworth.

Before he began work as a developer Holland had worked for Marconi in its overseas department, and where he alleges he was recruited to work for the security agency Mi6.