And listened to the sounds

of silence

The Victoria Police, whilst only having limited success in pinning down those responsible for the recent 25 odd underworld murders, are at least giving it a go. But MU does question what they are hoping will happen here:

Witnesses to the fatal shooting of underworld figure Andrew "Benji" Veniamin may be forced to give evidence, after police detectives today asked a court for compulsory examinations.
[snip]
Police today lodged an application in the Melbourne Magistrates Court in an attempt to try and break the notorious criminal code of silence around Melbourne's 23 unsolved gangland murders.

The application would require witnesses to be questioned in court at a later date."

Well a court order will loosen their tongues for sure!

Prosecutor Geoff Horgan, SC, told the court that four men - who are believed to have been present at the time of the shooting or immediately before it - had refused to make statements.

"It is believed a number of people were observers of events shortly prior to the shooting taking place and those are the people some of whom were in the vicinity or in the restaurant shortly prior," he said.

He said that Ronald Bongetti, Faruk Orman, Steve Kaya and Geoffrey Reading had refused, three times, to make a statement to the homicide squad investigating the murder.

I imagine they will eventually get statements of some description, once the boys have had the chance to get together and work out exactly what did happen...