The state's corruption watchdog has launched a probe into Detective Sergeant Wayne Dean, claiming his long-term association with Melbourne man Bill Meletsis, whom he met in the 90s through the Carlton restaurant scene, led to him doing jobs contrary to his role.
A Chinese migration agent sparked the investigation when she complained she paid Det Sgt Dean and Mr Meletsis $11,000 to recover a significant amount of money owed to one of her clients.
She alleged the detective conducted so-called "mediations" at Melbourne West Police Station between her and the alleged debtor and also took a police statement from her.
She said her client's money was never recovered.
The Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission is expected to hear evidence the detective allegedly improperly used Victoria Police's database to get the contact details of parties in civil disputes and pass them on to those who paid him.
It will also look at the appropriateness of some of his relationships, including with underworld figure Mick Gatto.
On the first day of public hearings, Det Sgt Dean said he had a number of past conversations about his relationship with Mr Gatto, but he was never advised it amounted to a declarable association.
He said he should have declared his association with Mr Meletsis, though, with whom his jobs got larger and "more complex" over time. The detective acknowledged Mr Meletsis had a criminal history.
In her opening statement on Tuesday, counsel assisting Catherine Boston alleged Det Sgt Dean "explicitly and implicitly" threatened to charge parties to civil disputes unless they resolved their matters.
Det Sgt Dean said he did raise with some the possibility they could be charged if they did not repay their debts.
He said he interviewed alleged debtors at a police station as it was a "common ground" and he wanted to determine if matters could be dealt with civilly, or through a criminal route.
"That was never my intention, to put pressure on the person," Det Sgt Dean said.
He denied Mr Meletsis paid him for jobs, most of which he saw as "investigations" - instead, saying he would sometimes give him cash on an ad hoc basis, for example, to buy a bottle of wine, when they met up socially. Mr Meletsis has denied ever paying the detective.
The detective acknowledged some of what he was being asked to do was contrary to his role as a police officer.
He agreed that on one of Mr Meletsis' jobs, he was sent to storage units, which had allegedly been burgled. He denied he initially knew the units contained illegal tobacco, which the commission heard could have been worth more than $1 million, and said he was not paid for the job.
He said his role at the units was to obtain CCTV, which he did not do, to help identify the alleged thieves and also to see whether police were already investigating the burglaries.
Det Sgt Dean denied ever accepting money from the migration agent.
He said most of the $18,000 watchdog investigators found in a safe at his home came from him selling items including old red bricks, golf clubs, and a car.
Investigators also found $1300 in cash at his workplace.
Victoria Police confirmed a detective sergeant from the northwest region was suspended from duty pending the investigation.Â
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